Makorra Drabbles
by xAriesx
Summary: Basically just a collection of one-shots on MaKorra! Most chapters are rated M.
1. Chapter 1: Peaceful Night

Mako always thought at night.

It wasn't just because the unresting reality of life was now asleep, or the loud screams of spoiled kids was now at rest. Rather, it as mostly because he loved to watch Korra sleep.

He knew in his mind it sounded awkward, and if he was to be caught, well, he might of just taken it as the end of his life.

He thought at first when his girlfriend was to move in with him, the bed would be a problem. However, it was the complete opposite. He thought it would be uncomfortable nights with his groin being kneed, and his face being elbowed. He was proved wrong.

Korra was like a log when she slept. Most nights, she would barely move. It was on rare occasions if Korra was to wake Mako if she was moving a lot. If Mako was to be honest with himself, he loved it. Usually, Korra was an Energetic, determined woman who took on daily stresses like a champion. He was glad that by night, she was in a peaceful sleep. At night, she was truly at rest. That's mainly why he always loved to watch her sleep. He wouldn't be harassed by her taunting smirks. Or, she wouldn't be trying to poke at her boyfriend to purposely make him angry.

She looked like an angel when she slept. Her usual uneasy face had no expression. As she slept on her back, her hair flowing past her shoulders after being kept up over the hours. To Mako, Korra was absolutely beautiful. To Mako, she was the definition of an angel.

Korra slightly shifted, which made Mako's heart jump, and he quickly lay his head down on the pillow, and shut his eyes, holding as still as he could. Seconds later, he felt something lay down on his chest. He looked down, to see Korra's head on his chest, her arm snaked it's way around his waist. His heart fluttered at the sight. He knew that he could never get sick of this.

Never.


	2. Korra's Little Game

Korra was terrible at holding hands. Scratch that, she was terrible at showing affection in anyway.

She actually felt immense guilt that Korra and Mako's relationship lacked her affection. She was such a headstrong woman, it was hard to soften her shell and show love. Sure, she could love her parents no problem and show affection. But with Mako, it was different. A different kind of love.

Korra knew from the start their relationship wasn't the one filled with cute kisses and cuddle. However, Korra loved it regardless. She learned very soon that punching someone in the arm doesn't translate well into "Let's make out."

However, Korra did love how when they held hands, hers would slide into his perfectly.

She loved how their lips connected like two pieces in a puzzle when they kissed.

She loved how when they slept together, there legs automatically hooked behind the other's knee, forever encouraging them to become one person.

The hated how Mako good was at showing affection.

He always did small things Korra always said she didn't need, however, she really did want him to do all of those things.

"Hey I am home from work!" Mako yelled as he entered the battered door of his and Korra's apartment. He knew right away something was off… And that's when he knew Korra was playing one of her little games again. As he was scavenging through the house looking for his sneaky girlfriend, he was frightened as something jumped on his back.

"Ha! You so got scared! Not so cool now, huh cool guy?" Korra mocked, climbing off her boyfriend. He turned on his heels, looking down to his girlfriend.

"Oh come on! Don't be so angry. Come here give me a kiss." Korra said as she slipped her hand into his, and raised up on her tippy toes and puckered her lips, awaiting her prize. Mako smirked, and walked away from her, testing her. Korra shrugged and walked off, but Mako knew she would care later.

It was dinner time and they were both quiet. Korra quietly found his hand under the table and tried her best to connect his with hers. Mako slipped it out and continued eating, trying his best not to laugh at Korra's pouting face.

Korra made one last attempt after Mako got out of the shower. She slipped his hand in his, but Mako rejected her immediately. And it stung. It also set her off.

"Why won't you hold hands with me!" Korra exclaimed, hurt apparent in her voice.

Mako almost felt bad. He ignored her, and continued getting ready for bed. "Mako. Please." Korra pleaded, setting her head on his chest. She jumped suddenly as Mako entwined their fingers together. She looked down and smiled, and looked back up at him.

"I noticed your little games how you pretend you don't care. I guess now your little game has failed this time, hasn't it?" She nodded, and pouted like a child.

"I love you." Mako said. Korra looked up and smiled.

"I love you too." They shared a few moments before Korra looked up at him and asked, "Can I have that kiss now?" Mako laughed, causing redness to erupt on her face. Mako answered by cupping her cheek and leaning down for a kiss, Korra happily accepting it. They shared a long, passionate kiss before Korra said bluntly, "Let's take this to the bedroom." As she wiggled her eyebrows. Mako smirked seductively as he followed her to their bedroom.

 ***Not my best work, but I hope you enjoy! It's something that popped in my mind, so I wrote wherever it took me! Hope you lovelies enjoy! Please leave reviews so I can take suggestions, and make my Makorra drabbles and stories even more better! Love you lovelies! Enjoy!***


	3. The Poisonous Kiss

* **I am EXTREMELY sorry that I have not updated for a while. I was focusing on my other Fanfiction called "The Pregnant Avatar." A lot of people seem to enjoy it, so I directed most of my attention towards that. I forgot people still actually look at this Fanfic and people love it. Sorry my lovelies! I will try to update as often as possible on this Fanfic. Anyway, I came up with this by thinking a little dirty (You'll see) while I was in math, bored. XD. I hope you enjoy! Please remember to check out my other Fanfiction if this isn't your cup of tea! :)***

Korra and Mako decided that for their special, 3 year anniversary, they would eat in a cheap noodle restaurant. Korra did not mind one bit, in fact she was the one who suggested the idea, and once it was out of her mouth, it was official. Mako did not mind one bit that although he was the male in the relationship, Korra was the dominant one. And unfortunately, the smarter one.

He did mind however that for their special anniversary, they would be going to a cheap noodlery joint. Not to mention (He seriously didn't mention it) that Korra and Bolin had their first date there. It wasn't "official" but everyone knew it was a date. Mako thought of it as a person using their bad arm to throw a ball at someone. Did you throw it at them? Yes. Did it hit them? Yes. But of course he didn't mention it. He wouldn't dare.

"Come on Mako! It's not that bad, and you know it." Korra argued. "You seriously want to go to a greasy noodle restaurant for our anniversary?" His nose wrinkled at the thought of the greasy noodles and the stench rising up from it. "I mean we could go anywhere else!"

Korra finished putting on her parka, striding over to Mako. "I am ready! Let's go." She said, slipping her hand into his, trying to pull him out the door. Mako easily jerked her back with one arm. Korra calmly wrapped her arms around his head, and whispered into his ear, "Maybe after dinner…" She took a dramatic pause, using a suspiciously seducing voice, "We can have some fun." She said. Mako had to go to the restaurant whether he liked it or not, at least now he was getting something out of it.

Korra happily ordered the spicy noodles with moon-peach sauce on top. Mako ordered the cheapest. He was not going to eat.

"I got to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Korra announced, getting up. Seconds after the bathroom door closed after Korra, a petite woman, maybe in her early 20's, and her friend squealed and giggled as they approached Mako.

"May I help you ladies?" Mako said, raising an eyebrow, not realizing they took his words as a flirt. The petite one spoke up, "A-are you Mako… You know, from like the Fire Ferrets?"

"Use to be." Mako corrected. They both looked at each other and sqeeled. "Well," One of them spoke up, slowly walking behind Mako and starting to rub his shoulders, "you look so lonely here. Why are you here alone?" Then she spoke softer, "We could keep you company."

Mako started getting uncomfortable, wiggling out her firm grip on his shoulders. Standing up, he declared, "I am actually on a date with my girlfriend." The other one moved closer, "Your girlfriend doesn't have to know." She said innocently. Unexpectedly, (although Mako cursed himself for not expecting it,) she made a quick move, and their lips starting touching. Before Mako could even react, before he could even get the chance to know what was going on, at just the perfect moment, Korra walked out of the bathroom. At first she didn't see, as she was getting the seeable faucet water off of her pants, but once she looked up, she stopped dead in her tracks. Mako pushed her off, saying, "What are you doing? Get off of me!"

That's when he saw Korra out of the corner of his eye. He turned slowly to only see that his eyes were telling the truth. Korra was completely frozen.

She felt so numb. What was going on? Did Mako seriously just kiss that girl? Who the hell does he think he is?

The two girls quickly melted away from the scene that they caused.

"Korra I- you don't understand. It doesn't look like what it seems. I- I mean you did see it, but you don't know what caused it. I- I mean you don't know how it happened." He cursed himself for not being able to recall simple vocabulary at such a serious and tragic moment.

Korra's anger split in half and it turned into sadness. Then it turned into wretchedness. Then, it turned into a heartbreak. Tears flowed freely down her face, though she did not notice them. Her Only response was to run. Run away from the situation. It's worked before. It should work now.

"Wait Korra!" He called, running after Korra.

Tears flew past behind her as she ran away from heartbreak.

" _How could he do that to me? Who does he think he is? Does he just bounce from girl to girl? He's such a player. I should have known! He's a jerk! Such a jerk_!" She thought, causing her to feel even more grief to seeing her love kissing another person. He heard her call her name, but she ignored it, carrying on.

Several minutes went by when she couldn't go on anymore. It was as if her heart was the very thing that gravity pulled on, making her drop to the ground in exhaustion.

She sucked in heavy breaths. She knew that this kind of pain was something that she has never felt before. At Least not this bad. Sure, Mako's rejection many years ago stung, but not like this. It was not a sting, it was more of a bite. A poisonous bite. She understood heartbreak now.

He was standing at a 3 way road, looking all around. He spotted her about 20 yards away from him, heaving on the ground. "Korra!" He called, running to the heartbroken woman. He got on one knee, putting his hand on her back. "Breath Korra. Breathe." He said lovingly. She hated how well she could be fooled by his words. She lashed out at him, "Get off me!" She said, smacking his hand painfully away, almost stumbling as she regained her balance on her feet.

Korra was the first to speak first. She had _A LOT_ to say. "How could you do this to me?" Korra said, choking on her words slightly. " _WHY_ would you do this to me?" She asked. She kept wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, though it did not help.

"Korra, you don't realize what happened." He said, cautiously getting closer. "The second before you came out of the bathroom, she kissed me. I don't know why my stupid self didn't react faster, but I didn't. And I am sorry." His apologies were generous and extremely honest. Korra was angry the story made sense. But instead of lashing out like last time, Mako wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her into a hug. Seconds later, he felt Korra's go around him.

"You got to realize Korra," Mako said, "There is no one on this planet I would rather Kiss." He continued, "Or share a bed with," He listed the last thing, "Or make love to. I can guarantee you that. You are too special to me, and I absolutely love you, I can not explain it in words." She would regularly laugh at his words and tell him he was being so cheesy, but this time was an exception. She absolutely loved it. She breathed in and out slowly now, calmed down. She was also surprised Mako mentioned their intimate relationship. He rarely did that.

She looked up at him with an emotionless face and said, "If you _ever_ kiss another girl again, I will earthbend you through a wall." He laughed, and hugged her even tighter. After about a minute or so, he spoke up and said, "So… About that fun you were talking about earlier… The apartment is right there." He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Korra wiped away the rest of the tears left behind in her eyes and laughed, saying, "I am up for some fun."

She then squealed in joy as Mako picked her up bridal style, carrying her up to their apartment.

 ***Thanks for reading, I worked extremely hard on this one to make up for the lack of Fanfics this week. Hope you lovelies enjoy! Reviews are greatly appreciated***


	4. Korra

**Warning! Extremely fluffy. Read at your own risk! :D**

Korra rubbed her eyes as she came out of sweet, sweet sleep. She yawned (over-exaggeratedly) and stretched her limb, getting ready to get out of bed. She she was stretching, she felt something wet. 'Sweat?' she questioned silently in her mind, as she moved around to inspect the mysterious wetness. No, this was like a puddle. Did she pee in her sleep?

At the very thought, she jumped up out of the covers, throwing the blankets off, and to her horror she saw blood. She panicked, looking all around her, but no wounds were present. She looked at the last place she really hoped it wouldn't be from. She sat down slowly on the bed, and she stretched her legs apart, looking at her crotch. Almost all of her bottom bindings were drenched in blood. She began to seriously panic.

'Crap crap crap! Spirits why did this happen to me?' She thought, looking anywhere to scrub off the stain somehow. She could not clean it yet, Mako still lay asleep on the bed. At Least, That's what Korra thought.

He could sense her walking around the room. He got up on one elbow, facing her.

"What's wrong sweetie?" He questioned very sleepily, rubbing his eye. She swiftly pulled the comforter over the stain.

"Nothing!" She said as cheerfully as she could. He smiled, he knew when Korra was lying. She was not really good at it.

He hopped up, walking over to her. Looks like a certain Avatar is lying." He said in a sing songy voice, coming up behind her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"What are you hiding." He said, and reached his arms out just far enough to uncover the mess Korra made under the bedsheets. His eyes widened as there was a puddle of blood on his bedsheets.

"You're bleeding?" Mako asked, "Where?" He questioned again, looking lol over Korra. He then inspected the spot more, and from where it was located, he soon came to the realization. It was Korra's period blood. And it was everywhere.

He looked down at Korra, who was shamefully looking at the ground, her cheeks bright as a tomato with embarrassment.

He wrapped his arms around Korra's waist, "Hey don't be embarrassed." He assured her, "It's natural. Don't worry about it." He said, giving her a tight hug from behind.

"I'll take care of this. Don't worry about it, Kor. Go and clean yourself up." He said, still hugging her from behind. He then whispered in her ear, "And maybe in a few minutes, I'll meet you in the shower."

She let out a laugh at that, and walked off. The amount of maturity Mako displayed about this situation made him 50 times more attractive to Korra then he already was, due to her monthly cycle which spiked her hormones.

She got her promise, and Mako joined her moments later.


	5. Relationship Hiccups

Korra's and Mako's relationship was absolutely falling apart.

Korra started continuously going to more and more meeting at dawn, not returning till' late in the evening, where she would make dinner by herself, eat dinner by herself, then go to bed, where she lay there by herself until Mako returned around 3 in the morning. He then went back to work at 12 P.M. They rarely talked to each other anymore, and their relationship started falling apart. Even though they lived together, they would be sleeping whenever the other would be up.

Korra first noticed a problem when they stopped talking to each other for a week straight.

- **Flashback-**

 **She was rudely awaken when a knee ruthlessly kicked her in the ribs. She angrily kicked it away, for it disrupted her of her sleep. She slightly opened her eyelids, to be met with rays of sunshine coming through the window. She thought nothing of it at first, and closed her eyes once again. Once is actually registered in her brain, her mind screamed, "YOU'RE LATE!"**

 **She sprang out of bed, finding a pile of clothes from yesterday on the floor. Were they dirty? She didn't care. She needed to go! She painfully brushed her hair fast, giving her a sore scalp from the hair being pulled out. She quickly put her hair ties in, hopping on one foot then another to get on her shoes. She put a dot of toothpaste on before she started excessively brushing.**

 **Before she ran out the door, she went up to Mako's bedside, "I have to go, love you." She said genuinely. Mako grunted, and after several seconds with no loving response, she frowned. She didn't have time however, and ran out the door.**

 **-End Of Flashback-**

Korra honestly thought nothing of the incident. She knew he was tired, but usually he would at least say a, "Goodbye." She soon got over it, until it progressed, and she noticed love was no longer being shown.

 **-Flashback-**

 **Korra was recently having several nightmares, as the stress from her all-day-long meeting have been piled up on her. Mako began to get extremely annoying when she wouldn't stop moving.**

 **He was asleep one night, trying to get a wink of sleep. He ignored the soft whimpers and frail kicks for a while, but it started to get annoying…** _ **really annoying.**_ **He was not in the mood to comfort or talk currently, so he rudely kneed korra, for which she sprang up in fright from.**

" **Stop moving." Mako demanded, laying his head back down. "Sorry, I had a bad dream." Korra apologetically said. "You seriously need to just get over them." Mako said in a rude tone. Korra was absolutely astonished at his angry outburst with her, and said, "On second thought, I'm not sorry, and you're a jerk." She got out of bed. She didn't want to sleep next to him… At Least not with the mood he is in. She grabbed her pillow, and ripped the only blanket off of Mako, dragging it with her to the couch. He annoyedly mumbled under his breath, and feel asleep. Korra longed for the old, loving Mako back. She didn't like this new one.**

 **-End Of Flashback-**

She then tried to relieve both of their sexual tension.

 **-Flashback-**

 **She waited for Mako. 2:30 he came home, he dropped his keys on the floor, he dropped his gear, and she was convinced that he himself would drop… dead. She purposely got dressed in something that showed off the curves of her body. She absolutely hated it, but she wanted to impress Mako. She thought when she was younger she would do no such thing for a man, but she convinced herself that Mako was the exception. She seductively lay on her said, facing the door, biting her lip from nervousness. He opened the door several moments later, looking up at Korra on the bed with an emotionless face. She was surprised as he simply came over to the bed, and plopped down on it, closing his eyelids.**

" **Hey." She greeted. Mako nodded in understanding. She lay next to him, running her hand up and down his chest. "So… I was thinking we could-" But she couldn't finish as she was rudely interrupted, "Not right now." "Well then, when?" She asked, feeling a bit let down. "I don't know!" He said, extremely annoyed. "But… we haven't done it for months." Korra said. "Well if you are** _ **so**_ **desperate, just take care of it yourself." Mako shot back. "Desperate?" Korra thought, although it did not completely stay in her head, she is came out of her mouth from shock. She got extremely angry, "YOU THINK I'M DESPERATE?" What made her even more mad was Mako just nodded. A nod? Nothing to say? She got off the bed.**

 **Although she really didn't mean it, and she didn't mean to say it, she blurted out the one thought on her mind, "I WISH YOU WOULD JUST KNEEL OVER AND DIE!" She then stormed out the bedroom, tears in her eyes, really hurt.**

 **-End Of Flashback-**

Then, it came to the breaking point where just being in each others presence was making them scream regretful things. It was the point where physical violence was just about to begin.

 **-Flashback-**

" **You are the most annoying person on this planet." Korra said. "Says you. I'm not the one who is obsessed with their job." Mako said. Korra was infuriated at the randomness of the insult, "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE WITH WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW!" She stomped her food in anger.**

" **I am also not the one who screams." He pointed out. She was even more infuriated at the truthness of it. "Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? You are suddenly way too cocky, I would consider giving your enormous ego a break, oh great Mako." She mocked. He took the bait and said irritability, "Just pack your fucking bags and get out." She smiled at his suggestion and said, "Good idea, I'll start right now!" And quickly headed for their bedroom, tearing through the dresser they shared. "Oh, this isn't mine." She kept saying, throwing Mako's clothes all over the place.**

" **Oh my, silly me! I must have forgotten this isn't my drawer!" She said sarcastically, shutting it rather forcefully. She reached down to the bottom drawer and grabbed all of her clothes, forcing them all into a small sack.**

 **This is when she began to break down.**

 **Why were things so messed up between them? What happened? When did it happen?** _ **Why**_ **did it happen?**

 **She continued packing, and once everything was stored away safely, she stormed out of the bedroom with bright, puffy eyes and a tear stained face. 4 years just thrown away with this egotistical man. She stormed out of the front door and slammed it, never saying a word to him. Although currently she never wanted to see the man's face again, little did she know that just in a couple weeks, she would be driven back to him.**

 **-End Of Flashback & Story-**

 _~That was extremely hard to write! However, the best thing I did love in Mako's and Korra's relationship was fighting. It really did show how opposite they were, and why opposites attract. Next part will be up soon! Hope you lovelies enjoy and have a great weekend! *Kisses* 3!~_


	6. Relationship Hiccups Pt 2

**This is Relationship hiccups, part 2. Haven't came back to this one in a while and I decided to now continue again with this mini-series. Hope you guys enjoy, and if this isn't your cup of tea, check out my other stories, Makorra Drabbles, Wake up, and my now finished series The Pregnant Avatar. Enjoy lovelies! 3**

Mako wasn't entirely use to waking up in a bed that only held him. He expected each morning like the usual, Korra's hair in his mouth, drowned by his saliva, her body in the most uncomfortable position it could possibly be, kneeing him in the gut, _but there was nothing!_ He'd then, (to his dismay) remember what happened.

He would drag himself out of bed each day, getting ready for work, the usual routine he set up. But, a part of his routine was missing. Oh yeah… Kissing Korra before he left. He sighed, realizing that wasn't happening, and left the apartment mournfully.

Korra was more pained by the situation, however. She stayed in her room unless it was mealtime, or she had to use the restroom. She'd then go back to her room, crying very silently. Well, as silently as she could. 'It's not _that bad.'_ Korra told herself when she was feeling a bit better. Then, 15 minutes later she would fall back in despair. Korra never experienced heartbreak before, she was always isolated from everyone except her masters and the guards, keeping her friendships and social skills at bay. Heartbreak was horrible. Korra could only describe the words heartbreak as someone taking your heart and stabbing it over and over. Heartbreak felt to her like actual, _physical_ pain.

Korra needed to get her items she left at the apartment, she kinda some of them there because it was in the 'midst of the moment' kind of deal. She walked over there, trying to keep her head held high, and her tears at bay. She knocked on the door. She knocked again. Once again, she knocked. Wasn't he supposed to be home? He never worked this late. She nearly jumped when the door swung open, Mako appearing at the doorway. Awkward silence filled through the air, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Korra spoke up first, "I-I left a few things here. I need to grab them." She stuttered, trying to hold back tears. Mako put his arm across the opening, blocking most of the doorway, "Can we talk first?" He said softly. "No." Korra said bluntly.

Mako sighed, "Korra we need to talk, seriously." Korra laughed bitterly, "I think we handled just fine last time we talked." She said sarcastically, pushing past Mako, scavenging for her missing belongings. She found her brush on the table, 'Must of fallen out while I was carrying things out. I remember picking it up.' Korra thought.

She then went into the bedroom, finding her armbands neatly stacked on the nightstand where she had left them before she left the apartment. She then went back into her personal drawer, where at the back was her hairbands she probably missed. She picked them all up, walking back towards the door where Mako was still standing. She easily pushed passed him once again, "You know, soon we need to talk about this." Mako called as she was heading down the steps. Korra laughed, calling back at him, "I'm good!"

Mako angrily grunted at the fact she answered him like what he said was a question. He calmed himself down, trying hard not to slam the door behind him. 'Why does she always have to be so stubborn?' Mako asked himself in his mind. He hated living like this. Like he said many years ago, after Korra went missing, 'I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again.' He had to fix this. He wanted Korra in his life. It may take a while, but it will happen. He was determined.

 _*_ _ **Btw, I do know what I am talking about when I mentioned heartbreak. I have experienced it, and it hurts like hell. Hurts physically, and it hurts bad. Hoped you lovelies loved this! Thanks for reading! 3***_


	7. Your First?

It was a usual, quiet afternoon. Nothing was really going on. Mako was reading the newspaper, Korra so bored she decided to read a magazine to torture herself even more. Though, she was not reading it. Mako noticed she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

Korra was quite nervous however. She was trying to muster up the courage to ask Mako a question. A question that she was trying to ask… well, ever since the beginning of their intimate relationship a year ago. She was even surprised of herself, because all of the sudden she blurted it out, "Was I your first?" She asked, not even believing herself that she actually said it out loud.

Mako laughed, "My first what? My first girlfriend, my first kiss, my first-" Korra interrupted him, "Your first… You know…" She said, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. Although Mako knew what she was talking about in the first place, he still wanted to avoid the question all together. "What do you mean?" He asked obtusely. "Don't act dumb, you know what I mean." Korra said.

He sighed, he couldn't avoid it anymore, and he certainly wouldn't get away with lying to her, and even if he did get away he would feel immense guilt, so he ended up telling her the truth. He sighed, and said "No… No, you weren't." Korra looked down in embarrassment, also with a little jealousy and hurt mixed in, though she tried her best not to show it.

There were a few awkward moments of silence, and Korra decided to go deeper, "Who was." She demanded. Mako really didn't want to tell her, though he wasn't going to lie to her either, "Asami." He finally said.

Now, she was more hurt than embarrassed.

He scooted up next to Korra, "Korra. You got to understand. It wasn't even love. Half of it was lust, the other half was just our teenage hormones." He said, trying to reassure her it honestly meant nothing. "I really do wish I would have saved myself." He finished, putting his hand into hers.

"You were my first." Korra said, though it was undeniably obvious. She lives in a secluded compound for 16 years of her life, with high protection surrounding her. Then, she lived like a slave under Tenzins rules. (At least, in her young, rebellious teenage mind.)

"I know. And I am glad you saved yourself for me." He said sympathetically. "If I knew we would be in a relationship, I would have definitely saved myself for you." He admitted. After she didn't respond, he decided to top it off.

"Technically, you were my first." He said. That caught Korra's attention, and she looked up at him curiously, wondering what he meant. "Like I told you, there was really no love when me and Asami did it. With you, it was completely love." Then he rethought it, "Although, that's not saying I don't want to see your body." He joked.

She laughed, and kissed him surprisingly on the kiss, which they both melted into. Then it turned into making out, and you can guess what they spent doing the rest of the boring day.

 ***Such a cheesy story, I know. But I enjoyed writing it! Hope you lovelies enjoy, and check out my other stories. Bye! ~Kisses~.***


	8. A Polar-bear dog's purpose

***Hello everyone! I got this cute idea after watching AND reading 'A Dog's Purpose.' Not every sane person thinks they should go and look into the mind of a Polar Bear-dog, but whoever said I was sane? Check out my other stories if this is not your cup of tea. Enjoy!***

Humans never made sense to me.

There were so many things about them that made everything difficult to understand!

Just last night, I felt Korra's and Mako's heartbeat speed up. But when I looked around to find whatever was making them anxious, I saw nothing! I looked back at them to see what was troubling them, but all I saw was them slowly smash their faces together. Were they sharing food? If they were, I want to be included in the face-smashing!

I got up there, licking their faces, trying to find the food they were storing and sharing in their mouths, but I found nothing! I hate when they tease me like this.

There was another time when they were doing the same face-smashing again. They then proceeded to take the face-smashing to the bedroom, then they started wrestling! Were they sharing food, or beating eachother up?

Humans are just so frustrating!

However, whenever we took trips to the place where blankets of white crystals fell out of the sky, they seemed to not do that stuff anymore. Usually, there was a man that Korra called 'dad' that always got Mako's heart rate up. Whenever they did the face-smashing and wrestling, it always happened when this man was NOT around.

Mako and Korra seemed to be quietly be doing the action of sharing food and wrestling. Annoyed, I got up and went outside. Humans just can not give a Polarbear dog some space!

That moment, that's when I saw _him_.

I looked checked him out from up and down. A slobbery pink tongue, floppy ears. Anything you could ever want.

I went up to the stray cautiously, who was blankly walking through the snowy night. I smelled his groin. It was a male!

He suddenly licked me in the face, leaving my fur matted with saliva. How rude! I growled in disgust. He obviously had no manners!

I squatted down, urinating all over the snow to show him he shall no go across this line which I had marked with my smell. That will show him!

I turned my back on him, walking back to the village, when I heard a low whine. I looked back at him. He sat down, whining as I walked away. Maybe just a short walk would be fine. I took off towards him. He got the idea quickly, and we both took off together.

It was definitely a fun walk by the time we were done. Though, one thing I disliked was that almost every 5 minutes, he would try to get on my back. I found it particularly rude, but brushed it off, taking off for him to catch up.

I definitely was not interested in such an action. Especially not after I was a pup and Korra found me. I was then taken to a room, who held a strange man with a white coat. This man in white coat put me to sleep, but once I woke up I felt numb. A couple weeks after then I had a very uncomfortable feeling in my groin, but it went away over time.

I felt sadness overcome Korra as we walked to the docking port where a strange vehicle that could float on water would take us back to Republic City. Why did we have to leave? It was so much fun here!

I thought we were going to do this whole process of face smashing, but instead Korra and her parents wrapped their arms around each other.

I soon later came to understand that smashing faces was something only Mako and Korra do to each other. I didn't understand why Korra's mom and dad didn't want to share food.

We docked the port, and, against my will, headed back to Republic City.

A couple weeks later, something weird was happening to Korra. _Very weird._ I let my head rest up against Korra's stomach. I heard the normal gurgling, but then, I picked up on a rhythmic sound. It wasn't Korra's, I could separate the two similar sounds. Naga pressed her ear against Korra's stomach even more. There were 2 heartbeats in there! And Korra had no problem with it! How could this be!

Naga howled. Korra needed to know! Something dangerous that was _alive_ was inside of her! "Quiet Naga!" Korra said, trying to calm me down. After several minutes of barking, Korra wouldn't get it still! I gave up. These imbecile humans won't ever understand. I sighed, laying down.

Humans never made sense to me, and never will.

I still love them though.


	9. Cooking Lessons

"What do you want for dinner?" Korra asked as she tuned the radio to the station she liked.

"How about we just cook something? We usually always go out to eat. You atleast had the time to come over. Which I don't know how you got away with by the way." Mako said.

Korra rolled her eyes, "You know Tenzin would blow up if he knew I was over here in your apartment. He doesn't trust me. I easily lied to him, telling him I would spend the night at the police station researching criminals." Korra shrugged as if she wasn't worried he wouldn't find out. Then, Korra laughed, "I can't believe he actually fell for it!" She found amusement in the fact that such a wise person could be lied to and fooled so easily.

"You realize he could just easily call the police station and ask if you're there, right?" Mako asked.

Korra shrugged, "Pfftt yeah. But I am pretty sure with 3 crazy kids and one baby, he won't exactly have the 'time'" She said suspiciously.

Mako looked over at Korra, "What did you do?" He asked. He knew she was up to no good.

Korra ran her thumbs in circles, "Not much. Just told the airbender kids to go play hide and seek with Tenzin and not come out of their hiding spots for hours." Korra said, smiling at her brilliant plan. "They may even still be hiding." Korra said.

"Really Korra?" Mako asked. "It was the only way I can not get caught." She said.

Mako rolled his eyes, "So anyway, do you want to cook something?" He asked. There was a long pause.

"Uhhhhhhh yeahhhhh sureeeee." Korra said cautiously.

Mako got up, turned on the stove and began boiling water. He got some dry noodles out. He got the utensils out and put them infront of Korra. When Korra began looking at them as if they were another species, Mako got suspicious.

"Wait a minute. Do you even know how to cook?" He asked.

"Ofcourse I do!" She rebelled.

Mako decided to poke some fun at her, "Give me a spatula." Mako said pointing to the endless sea of kitchen tools in front of her.  
Korra looked down at it as if it was going to attack her at any second. She frantically searched in the ocean of tools for something she didn't even know existed. She finally pulled out a random object, "This!" She held it out in front of her proudly, as if she had accomplished something huge.

"That's a wooden spoon." Mako said, trying hard not to laugh.

Korra groaned and tossed the wooden spoon on the counter, "Fine I don't know how to cook. Stop laughing at me!" She said. Mako held up his arms in defense, "Alright alright. I'll teach you." He said. Korra stepped aside with her arms crossed.

"First, you turn on the right bottom burner so the water can begin boiling." He said. "Then, you pour the noodles in." He unboxed the dry noodles and poured them into the now boiling hot water. "Now that the noodles are cooking, let's start the meat." He said, as he pulled the beef out of the package, and setting it on the hot pan right next to the pot. He then grabbed the _right_ spatula and began cutting it up into pieces and moving it around.

"Take care of the meat while I take care of the noodles." He said, handing the spatula to Korra. She stirred the meat around as best as she could.

"Try not to push it up to the edges. Keep it in the middle so it is all evenly cooked. Here." Mako said, getting up behind Korra and putting his hand over hers, showing her how to correctly do it. At first, Korra felt awkward and uncomfortable. They've only been dating for a few short months, and have never been in this… position. She learned to live with it in a matter of seconds, but her heart rate sped up.

Mako backed off of her, and went back to his noodles. He never noticed Korra. She thanked the spirits. She shakily continued moving the meat around in the pan, not even taking in mind what Mako just said to her.

"I think it's done." Korra said. Mako took a quick glance and said, "Yeah. turn off that burner." She switched it off, and let it sit there.

Mako got the plates ready and topped it off, pouring sauce all over both of their meals.

"Hm. You didn't burn down the kitchen!" Mako acted surprised. Korra rolled her eyes as she took her plate to the table. They both ate and talked.

Then came to the sleeping part. She wasn't just about to show up to the police station and just sleep.

"So uhm. I can sleep on the couch if you want, and you can sleep in the bed?" Mako asked.

"Why don't we both just sleep in the bed?" Korra asked with wide eyes. She thought it in her mind, and somehow that transferred to her mouth, then went out of her lips.

Mako had to think for a second what she had suggested. "Oh uhm. Yeah-yeah I guess that's alright." He said. "I am just going to-uhm- take a shower." He said, disappearing into the bathroom. What was she supposed to do? Instead of saying "Yeah sure." She suggested a ludicrous idea. She couldn't back out of it now. That would make it seem like she didn't want to sleep in his bed. Which she really did, but why would she let him know that?

She made her way to his room. She sat very uncomfortably on his bed, and removed her shoes, setting them on the floor, then slowly slipped under the covers, wondering what would happen when he came in. She decided just to pretend to already be asleep. She shut her eyes as she heard the faucet spraying water suddenly stop. She held as still as she could, and tried her best to keep her breathing slow and steady. Minutes later, he came walking in.

Mako, seeing as she was already asleep, shut off the light, and slipped into bed next to her. It was a new feeling to have. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Korra was sleeping in bed. With _him._ He;s never shared his bed with a female. He only shared his bed with his little brother when he had a nightmare. And that was 10 _years_ ago.

"I know you're awake." Mako said, exposing Korra. Korra made a breathy sigh and flipped over on her other side to face Mako.

"You alright?" Mako asked. "Yeah. Just not used to really sharing a bed with another person…" Korra said. She was glad it was dark, because she could feel her cheeks burning with a bright red.

"Yeah… Me too." Mako agreed. He then laughed, "Unless you count Bolin ten years ago whenever he had a nightmare." Him and Korra both laughed.

After many minutes of silence, he looked over at Korra and realized that she was actually starting to fall asleep. Her eyes were closed, and her muscles started to relax, and her limbs became more limp.

"Goodnight Korra." He said quietly, kissing Korra on the forehead. Realizing now this wasn't as bad as he thought, he fell asleep much easier than he had expected.

 ***I hope you guys enjoy this story! I got this cute idea and decided to merge it with another idea I had. If this isn't quite your cup of tea, check out several of my other stories! It would also be greatly appreciated if you were to leave a review on your thoughts about these stories! Your reviews help immensely with my writing. Hope you guys have a good day, or night wherever you are in the world!***


	10. Will you marry me?

***Cute Makorra story I thought of. Enjoy!***

It was Korra's 24th birthday.

Mako wanted to make it as special as it could ever be.

He had it all planned out in his mind.

First, He would take Korra to a fabulous dinner at Kwongs. He did a total of 60 hours overtime in the last 3 weeks to save up for this costly dinner.

But it was worth it.

For Korra.

Then, after the dinner that killed his wallet, he would take Korra on a carriage ride throughout Republic City's large park, which was perfectly lit up in the night to give it a romantic feel.

He planned to stop the carriage ride at the fountain, across from spot where, 7 years ago, they woke up to leaning on eachother when they went to rescue Bolin.

They would then walk around the park, until they go to the fountain. Positioned exactly in front of the glowing beautiful fountain, there, he would pull out the ring he has hidden for the last 6 months in his pocket.

He would present it to her, getting down on one knee. Asking the love of his life to marry him.

He had it all planned out, expected everything to go just as planned. He wanted the night to be perfect.

However, knowing Mako and Korra, the night, of course, didn't go as planned.

8 months ago, Mako made it final. After spending an amazing 6 years with Korra, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of the life with her.

Mako first thought about what he would propose to her with. He pondered between a ring, and a betrothal necklace. He didn't know which one.

A betrothal necklace was apart of her traditions. A ring was a promise that both of them wore, swearing to remain truthful and loyal to each other.

He brought it up one day, trying to seem as unsuspicious as possible.

~~~~~~~FlashBack~~~~~~~

"A huge storm blew into the South pole yesterday night. They are expecting the storm to hit the North Pole by tomorrow evening." Korra said.

"Really? Is everyone alright?" Mako asked as he mixed the noodles with the spices he dumped into the pan.

"Yeah. But my mom is heartbroken. Somehow while she was trying to get out of the storm and into the hut, her necklace blew off. They will never find it, unless they plan on digging up three-hundred pounds of snow." Korra said, seemingly saddened by her mother's anguish.

"What is that necklace about anyway? Why is it so important." Mako said, jumping at the chance to see if Korra liked the idea of a betrothal necklace.

"It's called a betrothal necklace. A man has to make it for his wife when she becomes of age 16. He has to carve it himself." Korra simply explained.

"Do you really like the idea?" Mako asked, pleading the spirits Korra wouldn't catch on or be suspicious of his question.

Korra shrugged, "I mean it is my tribe's customs. But no, I don't really like it. I mean, to me, it feels like a dog collar on a woman. I think it shows that a woman must submit herself to her husband, while the husband doesn't have to. I don't think it's something to show loyalness."

There was his answer. Mako nodded with understanding, though he was excited on the inside.

Ring it was.

~~~~~~~End Of Flashback~~~~~~~

In order to still keep some of Korra's customs, he did make the ring himself. He spent countless hours carving into the rich metal, trying his best to keep his hand from shaking.

In under a month, he got it fully carved on the stone.

The stone he picked out was of special value. He found it on the beach of Ember Island when he and Korra went on their 3rd anniversary there. He originally kept it as a souvenir as one of the best vacations together they have ever been on, but now it was much more.

So much more.

There were many moments when Mako felt like pulling out the ring and asking the question, but he scolded himself, and reminded himself that he would wait until Korra's birthday so he could give her the best birthday ever.

He lay in bed next to Korra the night before her birthday. He was extremely nervous.

Negative thoughts came at him so fast he wasn't expecting it.

'What if she said no?'

Mako tried to think logically. Why would she say no? They have spent so many years together.

'What if she doesn't want to get married yet?'

Then we could just stay engaged until she's ready.

'What if she doesn't want to marry you?'

Mako couldn't answer that one. It made his heart beat faster, and made him more nervous and jittery than he already was.

He finally fell asleep, his own thoughts putting him to sleep.

He woke up peacefully that morning. The peace only lasted a couple of seconds, until his logical thoughts hit him like a bullet. He looked over to Korra, who was sleeping on her side facing him. His heart skipped a couple of beats.

He almost had a heart attack as Korra opened her eyes and smiled at him, "Good morning."

He smiled back at her, kissing her on the lips passionately as a reply.

"Happy birthday." Mako said pulling back from her lips. Korra rolled her eyes and got up, stretching and yawning as she rolled off the bed dramatically.

They both got ready as usual for the stressful day ahead of them both. They kissed each other goodbye before departing ways for the day.

Mako could not focus on his paperwork. How could he possibly focus? In less than 12 hours he was going to ask Korra to marry him. The thought gave him shivers, despite how much he was sweating.

Mako swore that he would drop dead by the time he got home from work. His heart pumped blood so fast it gave him too much adrenaline. He got a metallic-like taste in his mouth as he walked home.

As usual, Mako was home before Korra. She almost always got home after Mako. She worked late, but she promised Mako that she would try her best to get off earlier so they could get to their reservations on time.

Well, that didn't happen.

Korra burst through the door at 6:20. Their dinner was reserved for 6:30.

"Korra! I thought you said you would get off early!" Mako complained.

"Did you not hear the emphasize on try?" Korra said, running in their bathroom to throw on her water tribe dress so they could look the least bit formal at a fancy place they didn't belong.

Korra ran out of the bathroom, quickly putting on different shoes.

"I'm ready!" Korra exclaimed as she ran towards Mako grasping his hand into hers.

They both walked out of the apartment together hand-in-hand. By the time they got to the fancy restaurant they were 15 minutes late for their reservation. Luckily, no one took their seats by then. Korra and Mako slid into the comfy booth, which seemed like it was almost too tame for such a fancy and high-class restaurant.

They both ordered, and as they waited for their expensive food, they sat and talked about their day. The more the day went on, the less nervous Mako became. He sat comfortably, talking to Korra. It was nice not having anything to worry about in the moment. Mako relished it.

The food was served, and Mako started off politely with one of the rolls.

It was not the rolls that they had ordered.

Mako's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as his tongue started tingling. They were spicy rolls.

Mako started fanning his tongue with his hand as he swiped his glass of water, chugging down the cooling liquid. Realizing there was no more water left in his cup, and that Korra had a tall cup that housed ice cold water, he quickly grabbed hers, too. He chugged the water, streams of the liquid ran down his cheek and leaked off his chin.

Korra stared in awe at Mako who was making a dramatic scene. She didn't think the rolls were that hot.

A waiter who was walking around with a pitcher of ice water on a tray grabbed Mako's attention. Mako grasped the tall pitcher as the waiter was walking by. He chugged down the water.

Korra stared at him. Well, not completely him. She was memorized by the bob of his adam's apple each time he swallowed. She stared admiringly at it as she slowly chewed the spicy roll.

Mako's dramatic outburst caused them to be asked to leave the restaurant.

"They could of atleast told me the rolls were going to cause me to go into shock." Mako exaggerated, throwing his arms up in frustration. Korra rolled her eyes, "They were not that hot. You were just being dramatic. And anyway, you are a firebender. Shouldn't you be able to handle things like that?" Korra smirked, poking fun at him.

"They could've atleast given me a discount. We payed for the whole meal, and didn't even eat any of it!" Mako said, completely ignoring Korra's offensive question.

The carriage finally arrived after several minutes. They both hopped in, and the ride started.

The ride was very bumpy around half way through. "What's the deal?" Mako asked.

"This job ain't as easy as it looks, son! Shut your mouth and sit down." The man controlling the carriage snapped at Mako.

Mako obeyed, sitting down next to his girlfriend. She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. This turned into a make-out session until they reached the park. It was perfectly lit up with candles. It was a quiet and cool night.

'Finally, something has gone right tonight.' Mako thought.

The carriage took a sharp stop, almost sending Mako and Korra flying forward. They both got out, stepping into the romantic atmosphere.

"How much?" Mako asked, pulling out his wallet.

"Two-hundred dollars." The man said.

Mako's eyes nearly bulged out their sockets, "Two-hundred dollars? You barely drove us a mile!" Mako exclaimed.

"And that was a mile well rode, wasn't it? Two-hundred dollars, or else the cops are gonna be involved." The man threatened.

Mako sighed, surrendering. He pulled two-hundred dollars out of his wallet, reluctantly handing it to the man. The man looked up at him in disgust, "Ey, no tip?"

Mako narrowed his eyes at the man, "No." Mako turned around to Korra, wrapping his arm around her waist as they started walking towards the fountain. He could hear the man mumbling and snorting as he rode off.

They both sat on the edge of the fountain.

This was it. This was the perfect time.

"I don't think that we stopped here by chance. I think we are both pretty familiar with that spot over there." Korra said, pointing to the special spot under the exact tree.

"You are correct." Mako said, squeezing her hand.

Korra surprised kissed him. It took Mako a few seconds to realize, but then he sunk into the kiss.

His whole mind was on Korra, how he would propose to her, how they would make love later…

That was interrupted however. One second, Mako was kissing Korra passionately. The next, Mako was soaking wet, sitting in the pond. He looked up to see Korra laughing at him, clutching her stomach.

Mako smirked and realized that if she was gonna play a little game, so was he.

Mako lunged to Korra. She was laughing too much to realize Mako was planning on dunking her.

"No Mako! Don't! Korra screamed, all the mean while still laughing. Mako got her over the edge and dunked her underwater.

Korra surfaced, punching him in the arm, laughing.

Mako this time surprised Korra with a kiss, pressing into her warm lips. Korra also pressed into the kiss. Soon, it almost felt like they could not get any closer to each other.

It was the perfect time. This was it. His one shot.

Mako pulled away from the kiss. He could feel his heart rate shoot up. He planted his knee down, the cool water lapping around them. He searched his right pocket, and found the velvet case the protected the ring. He pulled the wet case out. It took all of his strength to raise it up above the water. Korra caught a glimpse of it, and her heart rate shot up too. Her eyes widened. Was he doing what she thought he was doing?

"Korra… W-will you m-marry me?" Mako asked, his voice shaking. Mako opened the velvet case to reveal a ring with a beautiful stone, which was carved into. The carving was of fire flames and water waves, coming together to form their marriage.

Korra stared in awe at the beautiful ring. Mako became more and more nervous each second that Korra didn't reply with a 'Yes.'

'She's going to say no.' Mako thought nervously.

It took a while, but Korra nodded slowly, then said "Yes." Korra held out her hand so Mako could place the ring on her finger. Mako shakily placed it on. Both their eyes met, crimson blue meeting fiery amber. Korra laughed, letting all the nervous tension sink away. Korra tackled Mako by surprise, pressing her lips against his. They fell back into the water, kissing each other endlessly. They both shared each other's oxygen. How could they possibly need air? They just needed each other.

They did resurface eventually, gasping for the air they thought they didn't need. They pressed their foreheads together, both of them taking deep, long breaths. They closes their eyes, relishing in the intimate moment they were sharing with each other.

The moment was cut short, "Hey! What are two doing? You can't be in there!" Korra and Mako looked up to see an officer, who was flailing his arms around at the two.

Mako was about to apologize, but Korra quickly stood up, grabbing Mako's hand and running towards the edge of the fountain. She hopped over it and started running, pulling Mako behind her.

He couldn't resist, he would always follow her wherever she would go.

Always.

The cop did chase after the two, but did slow down eventually. Mostly because Mako and Korra were fit, and the cop was a little more on the heavier side.

Korra pulled Mako behind a building, laughing at the situation. It reminded her many years ago when she was young, being chased by cops.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips. Her wet hair stuck to the side of her face and her neck.

"I love you." Korra said, looking at Mako straight in the eyes. Mako's heart swelled, "I love you too." Korra lay her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beat.

When they got tired standing, they both walked home, wet and cold. However when they got home, took a hot shower and lay in bed together, that is a different story.


	11. Surprise

***Hope you enjoy. It was fun writing! This is part 1, part 2 will be up soon.***

Her period was three weeks late.

Maybe it was… stress? She pleaded to the spirits that's what it was.

It had to be that.

But when the thoughts of Mako and her making love only weeks before, it made her doubt even more that stress was causing her missing menstruation.

While Pema was busy calming down her lively children, Korra took a chance. She prayed to the spirits she would not be caught as she looked through Pema's medicine cabinet in the luxurious master bathroom.

She found the pink box she was searching for. She felt a spike of emotions flood through her as she took out a pink stick from the box, which was similar in color.

Would Pema notice? No. She already had 4 kids, what's the actual chance she would need the pregnancy test again?

Korra crept past the busy mother and out of control children, slipping into her own bedroom, and locking the door. She make her way into her own, private bathroom, locking it just incase unwanted visitors made it through the first door.

Should she wait until later? No. She couldn't. In the morning was when the test was most reliable.

Her heart pounded roughly as she pulled down her pants, and undid her bottom bindings. She took off the cap, sat down, and held the stick between her legs as she relieved herself.

She almost felt like crying. What if she was actually pregnant? She was only twenty one. Republic city needed her. She had to protect the world. She was too young. She was not ready for this!

She got up, and dressed herself once more. She put the cap on, setting it on the counter as she waited for the results.

She stared at herself in the mirror, feeling numb all over her body as negative thoughts took turns infesting her mind.

She lifted up her shirt, and turned to her side. She looked down at her lower abdomen in disgust. She didn't see anything at first, however the negative thoughts were still being pumped into her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she thought she could see a bump.

Her hand grazed over her abdomen, feeling for the slightest bump.

A beeping snapped her out of her trance. She turned over to the dreaded test that was on the counter, indicating to her that it was done calculating.

She almost grabbed it.

Almost.

She hesitated as her fingertips barely skimmed the test.

She couldn't do this.

She left the test on the counter, and left her bathroom in a rush.

It was so unusual for her. She was running away from her problems. She never did that. But yet, here she was, leaving the bathroom. She was afraid of the test. She was afraid what it would tell her.

She couldn't believe how utterly humiliated and embarrassed she was. She felt like a coward.

She couldn't stop thinking about the test all day. It plagued her mind at breakfast. At lunch. At dinner. She couldn't get away from it.

The only way to get away from this was to look at it.

So, she did.

After saying goodnight to the airbending family, she locked her door and made her way to her bathroom, her heart rate quickening and her breathing became heavier as her fingers touched the ice cold doorknob.

She opened the door with force, as if something was keeping her from going through.

She knew it was her mind screaming at her to not look.

She saw the test on the counter, exactly where she left it before.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to calm her anxiety.

It took all of her strength to grasp the test.

She slid the cap off with ease. Her eyes averted all directions except for the test. Finally, she looked down at it.

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

There was two lines.

It was positive.

She was pregnant.

It took all of her might and strength to stand up. She grabbed a hold of something. Anything.

When she felt the cool surface of the wall, she did a trust fall against it. She bumped into the wall, and slid down slowly until she sat there on the floor, bad thoughts intruding her mind.

Every bad scenario that could happen, any horrible experience that she could have flooded her mind.

It was all just too overwhelming for her.

Hot tears surfaced her eyes, erupting as salty wet strands that glided down her face in a never ending stream.

She sat in the silence of her bathroom for over an hour, letting out her anger, frustrations, and insecurities in the form of salty tears.

What would Tenzin think?

What would the world think?

What would Mako think?

It hit her so suddenly she almost needed to gasp for air. What would Mako think. Mako was young too, and needed to live as long as possible before considering starting a family.

She thought of ways Mako would react, when she told him. Would he be angry with her? Would he reject her, and the baby? Would he accept her?

Too many thoughts raged through her head at once.

By the time she cried everything out, it was late. She got up from the bathroom floor weakly. She looked at herself in the mirror as she took out her hair ties.

She looked awful.

Her face was extremely red. Tear stains ran up and down her cheek, making her face sticky. Snot was disgustingly running out of her nose.

She sniffled as she walked out of the bathroom, sliding into the comfort of her bed. She was about to lay down comfortably on her stomach, but she immediately switched to her side.

Korra lay and contemplated in the dark what she would do know. How could she tell Mako? The whole world? Everyone will be disappointed in her no matter who she tells.

Korra just felt so lonely.


	12. Surprise Part II

***Oh my god, I have my computer back! I missed it so much I could practically kiss it. (You don't need to know that!) Anyway, Here is part II. E.N.J.O.Y.**

 **Oh, and please don't sue me. Mike and Bryan own these characters.**

I want to scream.

I want to punch something.

I want to kill Mako for putting me in this position.

I don't take back my heinous thoughts immediately, I try to think them out. Which is something rarely done. I am almost taken aback with how well I have held myself together for the past few weeks.

It hangs in the air over my head for awhile. I have been pregnant, from what I can tell, for a month now. Probably more, it depends how far along I was when I took the actual test three and a half weeks ago.

Mako has asked over the weeks why I see so off-key. Why I am acting so high strung. Why I throw up my food so easily.

I sigh as I close the lid to the toilet, flushing it and resting my head on the cool plaster of the lid. I know it's gross, and I know it's probably extremely unsanitary, but all I am thankful for in the moment is that I have not yet vomited up any internal organs… yet.

Mako was there, I could easily tell he was disgusted, but he stayed with me anyway, rubbing light circles in my back and whispering kind words to me. I want to snap at him, but I am far too exhausted to make any attempts.

What also makes me backtrack my actions is seeing deep into his amber eyes, the ones the hold worry. I almost groan at how worried he is for me.

If the kid is causing _this_ much trouble already, still developing for only a month, Mako is damn well in for a rude awakening.

He doesn't know that yet though, so I hold back my snappiness.

` It was one particular night though that I couldn't shake off how upset and frustrated I was. I found myself, yet again in the bathroom, sitting on the floor next to the toilet. Mako followed me in, just like always, knowing before I opened the door to enter the room, that I was heading to throw up whatever food I had earlier, still not fully digested.

"Why the hell are you playing with my hair!" I snap, trying to smack away his hand.

Unfazed, he says, "I was just trying to get it away from your mouth. I thought it would make you feel better getting your hair out of your face." Mako said.

Guilt ate away at me. "Sorry. Yeah, get it away from my face." Even my apology seemed forced, but he silently nodded, tucking away the stray hairs behind my ear.

I created a small list in my head. It was unintentional, but it contained of symptoms I have been feeling so far. The first symptom was, obviously, nausea, and vomiting. Second, which only appeared a week later at most, was tiredness. I was constantly tired, wanting to go back to bed only hours after waking up.

Everyone questioned my behavior, but I often left them with more questions. I either shrugged or said, "I am not sure."

Of course I knew, but I wasn't ready to tell everyone yet. I wasn't even ready to tell anybody.

Apparently though, I wasn't good at keeping secrets. I never was, and obviously never will be. Mako dropped the bomb one night.

I was laying down next to him, staring out of the window that was opposite of our bed. He was unusually close, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. I was relatively calm in the moment, not realizing I had only seconds to spare on the ticking bomb.

Mako's voice broke through the silent air, "Are you pregnant?"

There was a couple of seconds before the question actually settled on my mind. He just asked me if I was pregnant. Why did he have to find out like this? Why am I so bad at telling people things? Am I seriously that obviously bad at keeping secrets? The questions that I was asking myself came flying all at once. I forced myself up on my elbow and turned to look at him.

"How did you know?" I asked.

Well, he obviously got his answer.

"I'm not sure. I guess just a feeling?" He said. "How far along do you think you are?" He asked, also now propped up onto his elbow. I shrug, "I took a test a few weeks ago. I am thinking along the lines of a little over a month?" I asked, half answers, and half questioning.

Mako didn't answer immediately, and I began to think he was upset with me. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. Although I couldn't see his eyes in the darkness, I could tell by the quiver in his voice he was hurt.

"I'm sorry. I know I should have. The moment I found out, I know I should have. But I couldn't. I don't know why, but I just couldn't. I wasn't prepared. And I still am not prepared. Mako, I don't know what we are going to do. I just don't know. I am sorry… I am so so sorry," I said, my voice taking on different tones as it was cracking. I felt myself on the verge of tears.

I know he was still hurt, but he took a softer tone towards me. "It's okay. We will figure this out." Even though I know I should feel lighter after getting that off my chest, I guilt trip myself. I know that after this, there will be strain on our relationship. Distrustfulness. Only because I don't tell him things, like the fact he is going to be a father.

I cringe at how much I realize only now that I have been such an idiot for keeping these things away from him.

We settle back into the same positions we had, except I now could feel all the tension in the room. It was almost like humid air, it was there, and you couldn't escape it.

After a few minutes, I am the first one to speak, "So, am I really _that_ bad at keeping secrets?" I hope it forces some of the tension between us out of the room.

He chuckles, "Extremely."

I lightly elbow him, rolling my eyes. I join in on his laugh too, as I also know I am the worst keeper for secrets.

I am not sure exactly when, but I do eventually fall asleep. Despite the stress, and the guilt, and the tension, I manage to fall asleep. I fall asleep particularly in Mako's arms, the only place I have felt safest in the last month.

 **Sooooooo, did you like it? Leave some reviews, so I know! Also let me know if you want a part three, or you think it is just perfect like this. Also, has anyone else realized how much better of a writer I have become? Or, am I just being cocky as fuck? I am not sure, but I hope you enjoyed!**


	13. Romance Is In The Air

"Okay, city boy, you have to admit that was a spot-on shot."

She stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

The water she had been bending had dropped, leaving room only for the droplets echoing and Mako's response.

He shifted uncomfortably, though, of course, his face was blank.

Korra liked him wiggling around uncomfortably. She fed off his awkwardness, then using that power to poke back at him.

To Korra, it was a game in which she took immense pleasure in.

To Mako, it was a nightmare.

He really didn't understand Korra's thirst to utterly humiliate him.

"It was alright. You still have a lot of practice to go through, so don't get too excited."

Korra knew Mako too well to begin celebrating prematurely.

"Typical Mako." Korra said, shaking her head.

Bolin swooped in right behind her, letting the full weight of his arm drop down on her shoulder.

"Such a pessimist." Bolin said, shaking his head.

"Such an asshole." Korra said.

"Right you are, young lady. However, as his brother, I would not dare say that, as he would fire me up so fast. You, my lady, are the exception, as he couldn't bear to hurt you."

Bolin looked back at Mako, winking.

Bolin saw Mako's hands heating up, and smoke began to arise.

He quickly cleared his throat, "That is my cue to go. I have a date, so I will just leave you two alone."

He winked at Mako, quickly disappearing behind the gym doors.

Korra and Mako both looked at each other at the same time.

"He doesn't have a date." Korra said, voicing what they were both thinking.

"Nope. We have been part of a ploy." Mako said, packing his gym bag.

"Yep. You know, you are kinda cute when you get mad. Though, I wonder how attractive you could become if you were to just smile once in a while."

Korra saw the squirming again. Oh, how she loved to use her words to make Mako crumble.

She was heading towards the gym doors, carrying her bag.

She turned around suddenly, holding the door open with her arm. Mako's eyes were screwed to her.

She then smiled at him, making his heart race pick up faster than it already had.

She then shrugged,

"Just saying."

She didn't leave him time to respond, pushing the door and exiting the gym.

He was, once again, left alone with the sound of dripping water.

He left the gym soon after, Bolin waiting on anticipation.

"So, how did it go with Korra?"

"Let's just say that if Shady Shin was here, right now, I would give you back for free."

Bolin dramatically put his hand over his chest, "Ouch, bro. But you know what, it will be all worth it once you guys are together."

"What?" Mako cried out, shaking Bolin's hands off his shoulders.

Bolin shrugged his shoulders, "It will happen sooner or later. It's fate."

Mako shook his head, leaving Bolin behind in a fit of anger.

"I smell romance in the air!" Bolin yelled after him, making the whole day that more humiliating for Mako.

That night, the window drew him in. Oh so conveniently for Mako, the window that faced Air Temple island.

He couldn't help it. He blamed it on the air circulation.

He sat by the window, peering at the island. Looking around on the island for Korra.

Okay… Maybe he did like her.

He admitted this to himself, not knowing that Korra was peering right back at him from her own window.

Woohoo, there's nothing like a fluffy story to lighten up the mood. This story, is literally pure fluff.

The last chapter, I just decided to leave on a cliffhanger. Sort of a 'Make up your own ending' sort of thing. Because, as we all know, keeping up with stories is just too much to ask from me. I get it, I am a terrible writer. I understand.

By the way; my phone won't stop correcting 'Korra' to 'Korea'. So, if you see any 'Korea's in there, just know it's my stupid phones fault.

Leave a review, I beg you.

ALSO I DON'T OWN LEGEND OF KORRA, SO DON'T SUE ME.

Get ready for a whole brand new story soon. :)


	14. An Iris in the Spring

_**Shock**_

That was the first thing Korra felt. The news had traveled through her ears, snaking down her spine and shaking her to the very core.

 _Did he just say what I thought he said?_

 _ **Denial**_

No… It can't be! He's… wrong. Their little baby, their little flower couldn't have been gone. She shook her head slowly, the brightness of the room only blinding her even more.

 _ **Anger**_

"Show me proof!" Korra clenched her teeth, looking over at the Doctor.

"There's no heartbeat." The Doctor said back, his face clenching in pain for the mother-to-be.

Korra choked, shuddering at the news. She felt a hand on her back. Mako's usually warm hands felt ice cold against her back. Right now, she felt so cold, yet her whole back was slightly wet from sweat. Perspiration dripped from her skin onto the blinding white sheets.

She looked down at her abdomen, the familiar bump that had barely started to make its appearance still very well there. She moved her arm, ghosting her hand over her own abdomen. She settled her fingertips on the tip of her bump.

She whipped her hand away, sitting straight up.

' _The baby is gone. It's not there anymore. I can't get attached.'_

"You are too far along to allow your body to pass the fetus on its own. A C-section will be needed. However, we can withhold the procedure to a reasonable time to allow yourself to grieve…"

' _Is this guy really suggesting I carry my dead child inside me for longer?'_

Korra shook her head slowly, "No. Let's do it now."

She could see out of the corner of her eye Mako shuddering.

The doctor was relatively surprised, but bowed down to the Avatar, "As you wish."

They started her on an IV to prep for the surgery. Mako's hand found Korra's and gave it a strong squeeze.

Korra didn't have the strength to squeeze back.

She also didn't have the power within her to look up at Mako. She could only imagine what his face looked like. She would have a breakdown if she were to look at him right now.

The only thing that was keeping her from falling apart was Mako's hand. She knew she would be a crying mess right now if he wasn't here.

Silence in the room. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, nor comfortable.

It was the only silence that for once had nothing to say.

Korra was trying to focus on something, _anything_ to help her mentally escape the room. She looked at the cold tiles that decorated the floor, intensely studying the pattern. Retracing the pattern over and over with the gaze of her eyes.

Mako squeezed Korra's hands to let her know he was about to speak, "So, I am still betting on girl." He said, and she could see in her peripheral vision the ends of his lips tug into a sad smile.

"Definitely a boy." Korra said, still tracing patterns in the tile.

"We'll see our little flower soon."

Mako had come up with that nickname, considering that their child, if he/she had reached their due date, would be born in spring. He/she would have been their little spring baby, and since spring is known in Republic City for so many colorful and beautiful flowers, he had nicknamed the baby as their "little flower".

At first, Korra laughed at the nickname. Although Mako was embarrassed that he had come up with a nickname, he used it all the time to address their child.

Over time it had stuck with Korra, and she most embarrassingly started to use it also.

She didn't even care anymore if it was a boy or a girl, either way it was their little flower. She didn't care if it was a girly nickname, their son would have to toughen up and listen to that nickname for the rest of his life.

She only noticed that hot tears were escaping her eyes when she felt a cold finger wipe one of them away. She buried her head in the blankets, and she felt a dip in the bed as Mako sat down.

She scooted over, and nearly yanked her IV out.

"Be careful of your IV." Mako reminded softly, laying down next to Korra in the bed. She honestly didn't care for the IV, and she rolled over onto her side and threw an arm over Mako's chest.

She still couldn't bear to look at his face, so she stuffed her own into his chest. Hot breaths came back at her as she breathed heavily into his clothing. Tears seeped from her eyes and the fabric of Mako's shirt soaked them up.

She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out at the awful pain that stabbed at her heart. She just wanted to let go, it was all too much…

She seemed to regain part of her conscience, and she finally pulled her face from the protection of his chest. She lay her head down on it's side on Mako's chest. Hot breath tickled her ear.

"So, daddy. What is the size of our little flower this week?" Korra asked, sniffing.

Mako searched his mind for the answer. Almost as embarrassing as the nickname, Mako had been keeping track of their baby's growth by comparing it to fruits and vegetables.

Mako smiled at the first time he admitted he had been keeping track of the progress.

They had been laying on the bed, only a few weeks after they had found out Korra was pregnant.

"Eight weeks today! That means you, my precious, is the size of a raspberry." He said, rubbing Korra's abdomen, which disappointingly hadn't really started to grow.

He heard Korra laugh, and her body quaked.

His hand still on Korra's stomach, he looked up to her in confusion.

"You're comparing our baby to fruit?" Korra asked, suppressing a laugh.

A blush dusted his cheeks, and his hand found the back of his neck.

"Well, I mean-uhm. There is a chart in the Doctor's office about development, and I just thought I would uhm, you know, keep track." Mako stuttered, avoiding Korra's eyes.

His blush reddened even further so when Korra laughed even louder. He felt her shift, and soon their lips were connected. Korra pulled away from him, looking deep into his eyes.

"You are adorable when you get nervous."

Mako ignored her poking fun at him, and instead blurted the words, "I love you."

Korra's mischievous smirk had vanished, "I love you too."

"Let's see… Twenty weeks? She is the size of a… banana this week." Mako said.

" _Or_ he." Korra reminded.

The c-section had gone well, the Doctor said. Except, there is nothing good about ripping your dead, premature baby away from you.

They had gone to show her the baby, and Korra shut her eyes away. She didn't want to see the baby, she didn't want that attachment. Because she knew it would be _that_ much harder to let their baby go.

"I'll hold." Mako said, beckoning the nurse to come over to him with their baby.

The nurse backed away, and left the room.

Korra kept her head away from Mako, yet she dearly wanted to know the sex.

"Boy or girl?" She asked urgently.

"Korra…" Mako's voice trailed off.

"We have a daughter."

Korra exhaled the long breath she had imprisoned on her lungs, her body quaking. More tears stung her eyes.

A girl. She was the mother to a baby girl.

"It's okay. Please Korra, look. She's beautiful."

She shut her eyes as hard as she could, craning her neck to look over at Mako. She gently opened her raw eyes. She scene she was presented with was beautiful.

She saw the person she looked loves the most, holding the precious thing that would become the most important thing in both of their lives. Both his arms were steel as he held the precious girl that was somewhere in that blanket.

Her heart skipped a beat as Mako carefully handed over the blanket.

She took the blanket, and looked down at what was bundled up in it.

Korra had never seen a premature baby. She was surprised to find their daughter, who was covered in delicate red skin. She wanted to touch her daughter, but she refrained, afraid she would somehow hurt her. Her skin looked so… thin and delicate. Even Korra's fingernail could pierce the skin.

Korra stared at her daughter for the longest time, studying her features.

"It may be too early to tell, but I believe she inherited her mother's nose." Mako said, pointing at the cute nose on their daughter's face. He was right- it did look like Korra's nose. A smooth curve into the tip of a nose that was slightly pointing upward.

Mako was right, their daughter was beautiful.

They both continued to stare at their daughter, mesmerized by her beauty.

.

.

.

"What is her name?" Korra finally asked.

"I'm not sure." Mako admitted.

"I think it should correlate with her nickname." Korra said, still studying her daughter.

Mako nodded, searching his mind for names of springtime.

Korra suddenly remembered a beautiful purple flower she had come across on her first day in Republic City. It was in the City's park, and the astounding purple was the main attention despite all the usual pink and yellow flowers surrounding it.

Now, what was the name of that flower?

"Iris." Korra said aloud.

"How about Iris?" She asked, looking at Mako for his answer.

She saw a smile tug at the end of his lips, and she already knew the answer.

"Perfect."

 _ **Bargaining**_

Looking at Iris so lifeless and so delicate, sent many shocks of pain through Korra.

' _Oh spirits, please! Give me back my daughter. I will do anything. Take my life. Take my spirit, and give it to her. Oh please!'_

She begged silently, and tears appeared in the corners of her eyes once again.

.

.

.

 _ **Depression**_

The days leading up to their daughters funeral were the most painful days of Korra's life. It had really settled in on the couple that they would have to bury their daughter. Their first child. Their _only_ child.

Korra cried every night, until she had exhausted herself out and soon fell asleep.

The news was broken to the city only a few days after Korra gave birth to Iris. The name had not yet been released. Right now, she only wanted to hear her daughter's name out of the mouth of her family and friends. She wasn't prepared for her daughter's name to be heard and said by the whole world.

Same with the funeral. Korra did not want a huge gathering to be held, she only wanted her friends and family there. This was their baby, their child, their daughter that they lost. It was no one else's. Therefore, she kept the funeral private.

They had a small casket picked out specially for Iris. They decided instead if just a regular funeral, she would float away in the sea in a casket. It was a traditional water tribe funeral, and she suggested the idea to Mako, who liked the idea much better.

 _ **Testing**_

Mako and Korra were always near the casket at the funeral. Always looking over their daughter in some way or another. Because they knew, it would be the last time they were able to be close with their little girl.

They had placed the casket in the water, and Korra and Mako counted in unison.

"Three"

"Two"

"One."

They both let go, and they watched as the tiny casket floated away into the sea, surrounded by shocking blue water, and amazing scenery.

 _ **Acceptance**_

It had started to drizzle. They had slightly expected that, due to the past few days of overcast. They decided it wasn't enough rain to hold the funeral off.

Korra held her eyes on the casket slowly floating away for the longest time, and just before it disappeared from sight, Korra gave a final whisper to her daughter.

"Goodbye, my little flower."

And the words were carried by the weight of the raindrops to the spirit of their daughter, who was emerging from the sea.

.

.

.

 _Shock_

 _Denial_

 _Anger_

 _Bargaining_

 _Depression_

 _Acceptance._

 _These are the seven signs of grief, and honestly it made the backbone to this painful story._

 _Very painful to write, but this story has been in my head for quite a while, and now I decided to write it._

 _Leaving a review would be appreciated, constructive criticism is most definitely welcome._


	15. The Fire That Burns Within

The heated and passionate kisses come faster than she had thought previously.

 _Kiss. Whenever their lips touch, shocks of electricity course through her set of lips, acting as conductors to send the fiery feelings all throughout her body. It zips up and down her spine, and she realises all of her nerves are tingling with a blissful fire sensation._

She feels the firebender above her shift slightly, and she feels his comforting hands rubbing up and down her sides.

 _His touch is an enchanted agony, sending sparks of pure wanting throughout her body. The agony is a completely welcome, yet frustrating feeling. She enjoys it, she_ _ **really**_ _does. Yet, it causes her mixed feelings, because she knows she won't want his warm touch to let go of her soul. She wants to keep his scarred, imperfect hands selfishly to herself._

She whimpers with surprise as his tongue makes an appearance in her mouth, pressing against her own.

 _His tongue, oh his tongue! It's so perfectly soft! It feels oh so right as it slides against hers, fighting for dominance. She refuses to be submissive, meeting his ever so wanting tongue with her own. Her taste buds tingle as she gets a taste of his saliva, which held the flavor of the noodles they had earlier. The hot seasoning he had peppered on his food sets her tongue more on fire than it already was._

He shifts again, burying his hands under the pillow that supported Korra's head. His fingers needily rub through her thick hair, and he uses this as an advantage to push Korra furthermore into the kiss.

 _Her scalp tingles from blissful touch, aching for more of his delicious touch. She had a slightly kinky wish in the back of her mind that begged him to use her hair to his advantage…_

 _His needy lips pulled apart from her equally needy ones, and she growled as her arousal was slightly dampered._

He laughs, untangling his digits from Korra's thick hair.

 _His laugh. Oh, his laugh is too innocent. Too unheard of. When he laughs, she feels like she has won the world. She knew he did not get a happy childhood, so she was determined to make him laugh; to make up for all those times when he couldn't. That was a promise to him, for the rest of their lives._

Hearing his pure laugh fanned the raging flames her arousal had brought on.

And then…

"Let's take this to the bedroom." Mako growled in her ear, slightly nipping at it.

And just like that, gasoline had been poured yet again over the seething flames of her arousal.

 _Her legs turned to jello from his arousing words, and every single muscle inside of her burned with naughty intent._

Thankfully for her, Mako decided to carry her to the bedroom. Her scooped her up, bridal style, and walked to his bedroom.

He lay her down gently on the bed, getting quickly on top of her before she tried to change up the rules.

For moments, they had just gazed into eachothers eyes.

 _His eyes. Oh, his beautiful, amber eyes. She could get lost in them forever, content with playing in the fire that raged within. They had an extra spark to them in the moment, and she realised he was burning as much on the insides as she was. Burning with such love, yet lust for each other. She knew she would keep his amazing and beautiful eyes selfishly to herself, also._

He leaned forward, gently attaching their lips together. He too soon pulled apart, giving her a genuine smile.

 _His smile was the sun in the sky. The diamond stars in the night sky. And, everything in between. His smile meant so much to her. It let her know, that after years of famine, depression, and loss, he was happy in the moment. It let her know she was not completely failing at her job. She saw her job as protecting the world. Mako was a large piece of her own little world. If he was unhappy, she was too. If he was happy, then so was she. She would do anything and everything to desperately keep him happy for the rest of his life. She knew no matter what, she would always try. For him._

His smile soon turned into a wicked grin, and his motions were repeated of rubbing his hands up and down her sides. He latched on to the sensitive spot on her neck where he felt her heart thump rapidly due to his actions.

 _She sighed with pleasure, as his tongue continuously brushed up against her pulse. She could feel herself simply turn into honey; melt away to liquid under his actions. She could feel the familiar tingles suddenly turn their attention to her south region. She blushed madly as blood rushed to her aching spot, and a foreign feeling had starting building upon itself in her stomach._

"Mako." She sighed his name as the new feelings brought upon her. Her fingers ran through his jet black hair, searching for _more._

"Oh!" She yelped in surprise, as his teeth grazed against her skin, nipping on it slightly.

 _His teeth. Though just bone, the feeling of them biting her skin made her search for other sensations he could bring._

She could hear him chuckle from her reaction. She struggled to catch her breath, her breasts lightly brushing against his chest each time she exhaled. She looked lustfully into his eyes, wondering what he would do next.

She could feel blood rushing to two different directions; first towards her privates, then she felt the place where he had suckled bruise as the blood rushed to the surface.

He left a trail of wet kisses from the wound he had inflicted, and kissed all the way down her torso; which was still disappointingly covered with her shirt.

He felt his fingers mess with the knot of her pelt. She reached down to help him, but he quickly smacked her hands away.

He got the knot undone, throwing it across the room on the floor. He quickly tugged her pants off, leaving her strong and muscular legs to his disposal. His hands found the inside of her thigh, and rubbed his hands along the flesh as he went back to meet with her lips.

Her fingers found the fabric that was tied around his neck, and she carefully slipped it off, setting it on the nightstand next to them.

 _His scarf. She knew that was the most important thing he owned. The bright red was an oddly striking look on him. She knew it held importance, it held pain, it held hope, it held his father, whom he had not seen in eleven years. She wondered how many feelings an object could hold. Even as much pain as the scarf had held, it gave him comfort. So she vowed to always protect the red fabric from any harm._

She unbuttoned the coat he had on, letting it carelessly drop off the side of the bed. She tugged eagerly at the torn undershirt that was hiding. She slipped it over his head, throwing it in a similar fashion as he had with her pants. She sighed as her fingertips danced around on his chest.

 _His chest. It was a wonderful sight, really. Seeing his toned, light skin felt so exhilarating. It sent tiny shock waves through her fingertips, possibly heading to her head and making her feel lightheaded._

She felt his fingertips brush against the hem of her shirt, and she got up slightly so he could slide if off her body.

Now she was only left in her bindings.

She impatiently attacked his pants, forcing them off his legs. She discarded of the unwanted clothing, throwing it over on the floor.

It was once again his turn to do the discarding of clothes, and she allowed him to pull her shirt over her head.

 _It was a blur of bliss from there. Vague things happened that penetrated her mind, the removal of her underclothes. The removal of_ _ **his.**_ _Their lips meeting back together after the agony of being separated for such a long time. His desperate touch moves from her hips to her breasts, sending sparks of pleasure as he graces over her nipple._

 _She gasps as the tip of his arousal barely touched her entrance. The longing ache in the pit of her stomach is taking control- and she can no longer think clearly. She can hear her heart pounding in her ears, and she's almost certain he can too. Body starts off quivering from pleasure as she feels him inside of her- and soon enough she is shaking. Meet his hips with every thrust. Only sounds are the mingling of their moans. Closer, it's getting closer. Can't control it. Keep moving. Lungs sting. Eyes shut. Keep going. Just a little more. Panting. Muscles seizing. Hard breaths…_

 _Don't stop!_

 _ **Oh.**_

She gasps as the first round of intense pleasure sweeps her up. They keep coming, over and over, they won't stop. She doesn't want them to stop. She can feel him give a few more shallow thrusts, though he stops short on one of them. She can feel him tense, and he's clawing at the bedsheets on either side of her.

Smirking, she clenches her muscles repeatedly around him after her climax had stopped them from doing so. She hears him groan from the extra pressure, finishing his own climax.

He hears her snicker below him, and he catches on instantly to what she's doing.

"You're no fair." Mako growls, catching her lips with his, and he noticed how pink they had become, despite her dark-skinned complexion

She pulled back, looking in his eyes with a daring gaze.

" _All_ is fair in love and war." She said, running her hands up and down his chest.

His eyes met hers with equal determination, and he kissed her passionately before he rolled off of her.

She traced her fingertips over his biceps, feeling the same tingle transmit through them once again.

She looked up to see his face, which showed of tranquility. She loved this man with every fiber of her being. Even after so much together… he _wanted_ to be with her. It helped make up part of all the trashy things she thought about herself.

She never wanted to leave his side, his amazing heat.

She wanted his arm coiled around her forever.

' _Please never leave me.'_

.

.

.

 _So, I am kind of mad at myself for slightly rushing it along. I wrote this on a whim. I tried my best to NOT copy the smut I had made earlier in this series, but it is very much like it. Oh, whatever. Anyways, this is from Korra's point of view, except in 3rd person. Tell me, should I make a Mako's point of view? I think it would be sooooooooooo cute._

 _I kind of wanted to change it up a bit, since last chapter was so depressing._

 _GUYS, SERIOUSLY I NEED MORE IDEAS. I SWEAR, LITERALLY ANYONE, I AM BEGGING TO PM ME FOR STORY IDEAS. BECAUSE FRANKLY, I AM RUNNING OUT BECAUSE I AM NOT A CREATIVE PERSON. SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR A CHAPTER, LET ME KNOW! I'll accept basically anything! :)_

 _(Also, let me know if my titles for these chapters are good. I am kind of bad at naming things, so… let me know!)_

Leave a review!


	16. Of Broken Spirits

Today was the day. It only happened once a year, so Mako was determined to make it great.

He quickly got up, looking out of the warm attic window. The sun was a fair distance over the horizon. He guessed it could possibly be around nine.

With the limits of time on his mind, he quickly stripped from his clothing, jumping into the hot shower he had started minutes before. He was determined to look, and smell, at the very least, decent for today.

The blast of cold air hit him like a wall as he exited the steamy bathroom. He sighed, rolling his neck as he made his way to the kitchen. Quickly grabbing a piece of fruit from the basket on the countertop, he thought about the day's plans…

He was going to get a few things for Korra, as special as the day is.

He was going to ' _see'_ her.

He was going to talk to her. Tell her about all the things that has happened the last few months.

And just be there, close to _her_.

He took off out of his apartment, heading straight for the farmers market, which was quite lively on the weekends. Boatloads of people took up the street, buying fresh fruits, vegetables, and even more.

Farmer market weekends were very important to the brothers when they were out on the streets after their parents died. It was much easier for the pair to weave their way through the crowds of people, quickly pluck a fruit or vegetable off every other stand, then dive back into the raging crowd. Several times they got away with the trick, other times they were seen, but never caught.

People soon enough realised that orphaned kids were sneaking their fresh produce without paying a pretty penny; so everyone looked after their stands much more carefully. Mako shook his head. Instead of developing some sort of program to help feed less fortunate people, they wheeled out huge, strong, intimidating guys to look after the stands, hurting anyone who is desperate enough for food that they would steal.

This city never really failed to disappoint him.

He weaved his way through the crowd, looking over the tops of people's heads, looking for the floral stands. He spotted it, and bumped into several people, who gave disappointing looks at the young man for not being a gentleman.

He got to the stand, looking at the several bouquotes. For some reason, his first instinct is to go after the roses. Maybe it was the stereotypical romantic vibe behind them, but he soon remembered Korra didn't like roses. She used to always tell him she thought they were cliché.

Peeling his eyes away from the red beauties, he spotted some dazzling blue flowers. It reminded him exactly of Korra's sparkling aquamarine eyes.

He pointed his finger at the beautiful flowers, "I want the delphinium flowers."

" _Exactly_ twenty-one." Mako said, his voice firm with his command. His voice was rather harsh, challenging the man. Making sure that he didn't step over the boundaries, that he needed _exactly_ twenty-one. No more, no less.

The man looked oddly at him for his request. He nodded however, packing the beauties into a plastic containment that was decorated with a pink ribbon on the side. He gave the man his money, nodding at him in thanks and disappearing back into the crowd.

Mako didn't think of much else to get her, however a stand that glimmered in the sunshine caught his eye. He took a swift right, appearing in front of a table with little knick-knacks stacked on it. They were all wooden-carved, and few had glitter stuck to them to make it more visually appealing. Even without the attractive glitter, the craftsmanship was amazing.

He scanned over the table, finding several things that he thought were cool. He got to the small part of the table that was animal based.

 _Armadillo lion? Nah._

 _Dragon moose? Nope._

 _Cat-owl? Definitely not._

Then he saw it. His hands grazed was over the smooth wood. He picked it up. It fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. It was a perfect representation; meaty front paws, long wolf tale. Spirits, even the floppy ears were perfect.

A wood carving of a polar bear-dog.

"I'll have this." Mako said, looking up to the woman who ran the stand. He caught a glimpse of the man behind her, who was eyeing the firebender suspiciously. Definitely an example of how people were still bias towards a firebenders stereotypical 'killing nature'. He was most definitely there to guard the stand from street rascals getting their tiny, dirty hands on his prizes for free.

He purchased the carving, shooting the man a glance before continuing on his way.

The place he was adventuring to was on the city's outlines. It wasn't exactly the place that was appropriate directly in the city; and he believed anyway Korra should have some peace.

He walked for quite a while. He felt the sun strengthening his chi's, however it was physically exhausting him. He felt a migraine sneaking up on him, and he just hoped it would hold off as a simple headache until his day with Korra was finished.

He pushed open the metal gate, and he walked the pathway past several graves. He had memorized where she was.

Bolin often joked that if Mako had ever hit his head too hard and acquired amnesia, he would forget Bolin, his home, even his own name. But he would still remember where her grave was. Mako smiled, not because it was funny, (it was actually a pretty cruel joke), but because it was the absolute truth.

His heart skipped a beat as he came walking up upon her grave. It was near the back of the yard, yet Mako didn't exactly mind. There were more trees growing out here anyway, since the back of the land had not yet been filled up with graves.

He noticed that the grass was way greener than when he visited her last. The crumbly, dying, brittle grass of Winter had grown into the thick, luscious trimmings of Summer.

He walked right up to the stone, reading her name that was engraved into it.

Korra didn't have a gravestone at her burial site right up until a couple years ago. After a full year of having a faceless grave that spoke of nothing- the majority of Republic City citizens chipped in enough money to get her a gravestone- to put a face back on the fallen Avatar. It was a lovely stone, too. Made out of pure marble.

When Mako first heard of the news that Korra had been buried without an actual marking of her existence, he was infuriated. Asami had soon come up with the thought of the citizens pitching together to help get the gravestone. It only took a few weeks to get the money raised, and an agonizing three months to have it actually ready and placed over her spot. Mako was there while they placed it.

Mako would rather not admit how much

money he had anonymously submitted to the fundraiser. He would just leave it at the fact that there were many nights where he had sleep for dinner, or he barely skimmed by on rent.

He sat down, folding his legs.

"Hey Korra." He greeted. He almost always had the urge to call her a pet name every time he saw her; but he then remembered it was not exactly in his right to do so. When she passed away, they were not a couple. Mako only wishes the opposite were true.

"I got these for you." He said, placing the flowers gently on her gravestone. "I know how much you like blue. I thought they were pretty, and were perfect for you."

He heard the crisp leaves of Summer rustle in the tree above them, and a few leafs landed on his head. He quickly brushed them off.

Fingering the wooden object in his hand, he remembered instantly he had another gift for her. "Oh! And I got you a mini-Naga. I figured you get lonely sometimes up here."

"Happy birthday." He said, placing the toy on her gravestone next to the stunning flowers.

His eyes suddenly softened, "I probably should've actually brought Naga here, huh? I promise, next time I come up here, I'll bring her along."

He sat in silence for a while. Not exactly trying to think of much to say. He didn't really need to, even being next to her was comforting enough.

Although, her body wasn't actually below the ground. Rather, her body was adrift at sea. It was a sacred ritual funeral, and her South Pole heritage was honored with her passing.

Although it tore Mako's heart up that he wasn't talking directly to her body, he _was_ talking to part of her.

Korra's parents graciously offered a part of their daughter for a memorial service at Republic City. They allowed them to take one of her armbands, a stuffed animal she had as a child, and a lock of her hair. It was taken, with great care, back to the city, where it was stored in a box. The box is what is buried in the ground.

Even though those things have been buried underground for years, (four years to be exact), it gave him comfort.

Her armband, probably dusty and ripped.

The stuffed animal, probably bursting at the broken seams with cotton stuffing.

Her hair, which had more than likely disintegrated into nothing by now.

"So, twenty-one now, huh?" He smirked, looking intently at the way the sunlight bounced off the marble.

"You are now officially old enough to drink. However, I doubt you care about that at all. Remember that one time Bolin got you to try some whiskey, and you barely gagged it down, right before you threw it all back up?" He smiled at the distant memory.

It scared him. It really did. The way the Korra was starting to become transparent in almost every memory he had of her. He would try his best to force the color back into his memory of her. Force the color back into her skin, which was starting to look like the background. Make her hair turn back into the dark chocolate color it was before. Seep the sassy blue back into her eyes. He would direct all of his attention on her; to force the lively and passionate parade back into the young woman.

But he couldn't do it. He would end the mental stress of the chore, tears streaming down his face from frustration and pain. The memory of her was slowly slipping between his fingers, like the water she was.

His eyes softened once again, "Sorry I haven't come to visit in awhile."

"A lot has happened these last few months." He admitted.

"And I want to tell you everything."

He talked on and on, firstly about his job promotion.

"After all these years, I have been promoted! I am finally a real detective. Can you believe it?" He talked to her enthusiastically.

"I just hope you're proud of me…" He admitted weakly.

"I wish you could tell me everything. What the spirit world is like. Who the next Avatar is…" He said the last sentence painfully.

"Though if I had a choice, I would just chose for you to come back…"

He continued talking for hours, telling her how his brother was doing. Talking to her about all of the amazing technology Future Industries had planned. Telling her every single detail of what she was missing out on.

He told her about how the final remaining equalists had been put under arrest. Even after Amon had been exposed as Noatak, some people behind the movement still stuck behind the Revolution's idea, even if their former leader was a lying scumbag. A new leader had taken the place of Amon, though the leaders were filtering from person to person every few months after the last one had been captured. Finally, after four years of Amon's defeat, they had cracked down on all of them.

"You can finally rest easy now…" Mako said.

Mako hadn't even realised he was there the whole day until the harsh sunny weather had cooled off into evening dew.

He laid a palm flat against the warm surface of the rock, "I hope you had a good day." He said, rearranging the flowers appropriately to where any light breeze wouldn't blow them away. He balanced the toy, making sure it wouldn't fall over.

He grunted as he stood up, using his knee as a support. He dusted the bright green grass off of him, looking down at the grave one last time. He wish he could cling onto a sentence that would be engraved into her stone like almost all the graves around her. Except the fact that no one really knew her last words. No one was there for her when she died, alone.

He knew that would forever be the biggest mistake of his life. Not being there for her. He punished himself daily for it, and he knew there was no way he could ever forgive himself for being absent at Korra's death.

"Happy birthday, again." He reminded.

He said it. The three words he said every time before he left her grave. He said them because, for one, he needed to let her know everytime, to make up for all the times he could have said it when she was alive, yet he didn't. Two, because he wanted to give back to her when he wasn't there for her, in her last moments. It was words she could hopefully feed off of until next time he would visit, to only remind her once again.

"I love you."

"I'll see you again, soon." He promised. His legs finally had blood circulating through them once again, and he turned around, walking towards the cemetery gates. The sky was now a mix of purple and blue, the famous north star shining bright in the sky, proud to be the first star in the night. He knew every time he walked away from Korra's grave, he left his heart little by little behind at the site. It was only a matter of time before Korra stole his heart completely, literally and figuratively.

 _And three, because he could simply just not afford to not love her._

" _When life leaves you high and dry_

 _I'll be at your door tonight if you need help, if you need help_

 _I'll shut down the city lights,_

 _I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe to make you well, to make you well_

 _When enemies are at your door I'll carry you away from war_

 _If you need help, if you need help_

 _Your hope dangling by a string_

 _Ill share in your suffering to make you well, to make you well_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _You're my backbone, you're my cornerstone_

 _You're my crutch when my legs stop moving_

 _You're my head start, you're my rugged heart_

 _You're the pulse that I've always needed_

 _Like a drum baby don't stop beating_

 _Like a drum baby don't stop beating_

 _Like a drum baby don't stop beating_

 _Like a drum my heart never stops beating_

 _For you, for you_

 _Baby I'm not moving on_

 _I'll Love you long after you're gone_

 _For you, for you_

 _You would never sleep alone_

 _I_

 _I'll love you long after you're gone_

 _For you, for you_

 _Baby I'm not moving on_

 _I'll love you long after you're gone_

 _For you, for you_

 _You would never sleep alone_

 _I'll love you long, long after you're gone…"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Here I am, back with the depressing stories again! Why oh why do I always do these things to myself. I don't think I'll ever know._

 _Just like last chapter, I wrote this story on a whim. This story came to me at the most random time; while I was making my bed. And it made me so SAD thinking about it, but I instantly jumped on to writing it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Review anything! Whether it's a good review, a bad one, a depressing one, a hateful one, a lifting one, a… I think you get the point._

 _Song~ Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips_


	17. Hidden Insecurities

"You're an over-emotional basket case!" Mako yelled as Korra followed him into her bedroom.

"Oh, is that _so._ " Korra yelled back, slamming the door shut so hard behind them that the walls shook.

"Then how come no one has ever told me before?" Korra spat the question at him like it was something sour in her mouth.

"Because you go absolutely insane, for whatever reason, over nothing now! I don't exactly remember you being this crazy when we were just friends." Mako yelled back, turning around to the raging woman.

"Well then maybe _we should just be friends_!" Korra yelled back at him.

Korra had regret the words as soon as they made their escape from her mouth, but she wouldn't let him see that. She wouldn't let him see the regret and sadness clash in her eyes.

Because Korra doesn't regret.

She saw the clash in his eyes, though. His beautiful, amber eyes swirling with hurt at her burning words.

"No, Korra, I didn't mean it like that…" He started, immediately going backwards from the inevitable flames that was singeing away at the connection they had.

It was happening a lot now. These fights. Each time the other saying hurtful things to each other. They always said at the end they didn't mean it, but Mako was tired of these petty, fake apologies being tossed around.

Mako and Korra had built a thick, close rope of connection with each other. These fights were burning the rope, and now their relationship was hanging on by the threads that were numbering down. Mako couldn't bear when the last thread gave out, and they would go tumbling down with each other, the wonderful and exhilarating relationship they once had would be gone.

"No, nope! I am the _Avatar._ I can handle anything! Even as something as little as this useless relationship!"

Mako almost gasped at the coldness and cruelty of her words that stung him so deeply.

"I don't get it! How can that Avatar title give you so much insecurity?" Mako asked, though it was more like a statement.

She hated this. How Mako could just look at her, and suddenly be deep within her soul, tickling at the insecurities and the secrets that lay beneath her skin. It was almost like she was transparent to him.

She hated even more that he was right. Whenever something like this happened, she would hide behind the name her godly title, as if it could teach her how to not feel. Whatever it was that she was going through, her _avatar_ title would get her through, not herself, and definitely not the people around her.

"I'm not insecure about it! I'm not insecure about anything! You're insecure over every little thing, _pretty boy_." She taunted him.

"No I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Mako inwardly groaned, tired of the nonsense.

"Korra…" His voice trailed off. He looked down at her, and her eyes still spoke of rage.

"Why don't you tell me anything?" Korra sobbed weakly, and the rage from her eyes had somehow transformed into great hurt.

"I tell you everything!" Mako retorted, knowing what he said was a lie.

"Then tell me why you don't like your birthday. Tell me why you don't want your present." Korra said, coming up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Their foreheads now pressed together, she bored her passionate eyes into his ones that silently spoke of depression and regret.

"You wouldn't understand." Mako said, allowing her to search as deep into his eyes as she wanted. She wouldn't find anything. At least no answers to her questions.

She licked her lips quickly, her tongue barely brushing up against his lips.

"Then help me, Mako. Help me to understand." She said, searching his eyes.

He was unreadable.

He didn't exactly know what force inside of him demanded him to do so. It could have been his conscious, it could have been Korra's pleading eyes, it could have been both.

He sighed, pulling slightly away from her, but keeping his embrace around her.

"Do you remember when I told you about what happened to my parents?" Mako stared down into those passionate eyes of hers.

She nodded, keeping the eyelock.

He hesitated for a moment, racking his brain.

"Well, the night they died, it was my eighth birthday." Mako admitted, finally breaking their lock.

"Oh, Mako…" Korra sighed, bringing him in for a hug.

"I am so sorry…" Korra said quietly. They both knew those words have been used so much lately that they had lost reputation.

Mako hugged her back, burying his nose into the top of her head. He breathed in her scent, wanting to lock the smell of cherry blossoms in his nose forever.

His grip on her tightened, and he could feel a steady stream of tears presenting itself in his eyes.

"I miss them, Korra. I miss them so fucking much." He admitted, one his hands finding her head and pushing her deeper into him. His tears had found his cheeks, and they began to fall off in a salty mess off of his face onto Korra's scalp.

"I know, Mako." Korra said quietly, rubbing her hands up and down his back as her face resided in the fabric of his scarf. She breathed in his scent, loving the smokey smell invade her nose. She felt a sudden wetness on the top of her head.

"It's all my fault they are dead." Mako said, his biggest insecurity and weakness presenting itself in front of Korra.

Korra pulled back from him, looking back into his eyes, "Do you seriously think that?" It wasn't an insulting question, it was kind and genuine. She searched his eyes, wondering if he was only saying these ridiculous words in the spur of the depressing moment, or if he truly believed it.

"If I was just strong enough to help fight them off, they would be here today…" Mako said.

Korra forced his head back at her gently, forcing his teary gaze to meet her eyes.

"Don't ever think like that. It wasn't your fault, Mako. It was no ones, except for _his_." She said.

Mako shook his head, tears flying everywhere. "No, I should've-" Korra cut him off quickly.

"It doesn't matter what you would have, or should've done. It. Wasn't. Your. Fault." Korra said.

"God dammit Korra, you weren't there! You don't know!"

His gaze had fixed somewhere to the left of her, but she forced his eyes to meet hers once again. Damn her.

"It wasn't your fault…" Korra declared one last time, a final tone lacing her voice.

Mako only nodded, though he didn't believe it one last bit.

Korra pulled him into another tight hug, and they stood there for minutes, maybe even hours. They lost all sense of time when they were close like this. Breaths mingling, hearts beating in unison.

"So, you really don't want your present?" Korra asked, looking up at him.

She strained to hear the whisper he murmured.

"I only want you."

" _But she said, where'd you wanna go?_

 _How much you wanna risk?_

 _I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts_

 _Some superhero_

 _Some fairytale bliss_

 _Just something I can turn to_

 _Somebody I can miss…"_

.

.

.

 _Angsty and hurt/comfort that I alwaysss write. Enjoy!_

" _Makorra angst is the best angst." ~Me_

 _Song~ 'Something Just Like This"_

 _By; Coldplay, and The Chainsmokers_


	18. Unfaithful Promises

**Takes place; between Book 1 and Book 2**

"Korra."

Mako's voice broke through the silenced night.

"Hm?" Korra's voice sleepily responded. She was _so_ close to falling into a dreamless sleep, until his voice called out for her name.

When he didn't respond, Korra lazily excused the incident as him sleep talking, or even perhaps her tired mind playing tricks on her.

She let her body relax once again, comforted by Mako's arm, which was draped just above her hip, as she lay on her right side and Mako lay right behind her, facing the same direction.

"Korra."

She definitely heard it right that time.

"What?" She whispered, slightly annoyed Mako wanted to talk at this hour of the night.

Not hearing a response, she groaned, and flipped quickly over onto her left side, facing Mako.

His amber eyes pierced through the darkness, boring into hers. She noticed an uncertainty that was trapped within his eyes, and the longing of… something.

He had been thinking again.

"Sorry I woke you up." Mako apologized, letting his arm slip away from the curve of her waist.

Korra shook her head, dismissing the incident.

"What's wrong?" She asked. She heard a certain depressing tone in his voice, one that she never heard before, and quite frankly it scared her.

"I-" Mako cut himself off, and was unsure if he should continue. Seeing as he already woke up Korra, he kind of had to.

"I.. I want you to promise me something." Mako admitted, and his voice sounded weak, sounded as if it belonged to a frightened young boy.

Korra didn't say anything, rather she let her eyes do the talking. She egged him on.

"I want you to… promise me… promise me that you will never leave me." He hated how weak he sounded, it betrayed the wall he had built around himself that gave his emotions protection from being exposed.

Then he remembered somewhere along the way, a crazy woman named Korra penetrated through the barrier so easily and effortlessly. Exactly when she did, he didn't know.

"Mako…" His heart thumped wildly in his chest, though he felt as if it was close to giving out.

"I can't…"

His heart instantly shattered at her words. All of this. All of the friendship. All of the bickering. The fights. The forgiveness. The romance. Their relationship. The sharing of secrets. The sharing of bodies. The sharing of insecurities.

It all meant nothing to her…

Korra instantly picked up on the intense hurt, confusion, and betrayal that crashed simultaneously in his eyes.

"No! Mako, I love you. Fuck, I always will. But, sometimes…" Korra bit her bottom lip, which had began trembling at a time unknown to her.

"Sometimes, things happen."

She saw a glint of hope arise in the firebenders eyes. She could see his silent plead that begged of her to elaborate further.

"I can't promise I won't leave you, because I am unsure if I can keep that promise. Things happen, Mako. Some avatars die young…" Her voice trailed off, and she hoped he would piece the rest together.

Spirits, him of _all_ people should understand exactly what she means!

No. No, that was even worse. Sure, it would be so unbearably painful to have Korra admit to having pseudo-feelings towards him, but she would be alive. To imagine her dead… there was no words to describe how much agony that would put him through. How that would be the worse torment he would ever face, and for the second time. He didn't think he could survive another death of someone he loved so deeply.

No, scratch that… He didn't _want to_ live through something like that again. He _knew_ he wouldn't survive it.

At that point, he would simply pray to the spirits to let him die. Whither away from the world with Korra. He bitterly thought that the spirits who wouldn't grant them his wish would be selfish. That those who didn't grant him that wish, aren't as merciful as they claim to be in ancient texts.

He knew he was being selfish. He knew he was being stupid.

He knew that from the start, falling in love with the Avatar was a dangerous deal.

She would always be in the face of danger, always somewhere in the heart of a war. He vowed to her that he would protect her, always and forever.. but that was naïve and youthful thinking. They both knew that promises can only be held so far.

And now, now that the actual words were falling from her mouth, and the painful and heartbreaking confession rang true, it had settled on the couple that it was utter fact, and completely warranted.

And they couldn't have that… no, not at all…

Because the truth is always the most painful, deliberating thing in all of existence.

"But I need you to promise me something…" Korra bit her lip again, and she was sure the metallic taste of blood was the sour flavor that invaded her mouth and stung her taste buds.

"I need you to promise me, that when the time comes, you will let me go…" It pained Korra's body physically as she uttered the words.

She disliked being so vulnerable. She was wondering where the strong, independant Korra had gone. The one that left Mako staring at her in awe, as a response to a cocky, and quite rude insults she had thrown his way.

Then she had remembered, most of that crumbled away in her hands, as their relationship got even more and more serious.

She used to be the teenager that thought nothing could stop her. _She didn't fear death, death feared her_ sort of mentality. Spirits, was she so naïve back then.

That was until Amon came into view. That mentality crashed around her, turning to dust and gravel as she realised that she was most definitely a destructible being. One that has faults, and one who can hurt. One who could die.

Losing her bending was the biggest wake up call for her. It was evidence, to herself, that she was only human.

And death seems to love humans.

Mako shook his head, and laughed bitterly, "You act as if you already know you will die. You mean 'if' the time comes." Mako corrected her, desperate to bring comfort upon himself.

Korra sighed, giving into Mako's refusal, "Yes, if."

"I can't promise that." Mako admitted.

"Why not?"

"I could never let you go. Ever."

Korra didn't respond, instead she simply leaned forward and trapped Mako in an embrace. He responded to her affection, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing her close.

She pulled away too soon, "I still need you to promise me."

Mako shook his head, and Korra only noticed he was crying when she felt wetness rain upon her from his tears.

"Korra, please… don't make me." His voice pleaded weakly, and she noticed his voice had become more fragile than it was five minutes ago.

"Mako, I need you to…"

This promise was a true test of his love. A test, to see if he could love her enough to let her go, when… or if the time came. Or, he would selfishly indulge in grief over her.

Either way, he couldn't win.

"And I… I will make you a promise." Mako looked up to Korra, wondering what part of herself she would offer to him.

"I promise that as long as I live, I will fight, and I will continue to until I just simply can't anymore." Korra felt as if it was a fair trade.

Mako thought about her offer, then looked back at her, and nodded.

It was a fair deal.

However, even as they lay down, reveling in the sight and smell of each other, they both knew that _if_ and _when_ the time came, they would be unfaithful to their promises.

.

.

.

 _Wow, am I good at character development or what? *sarcasm*._

 _Whims, these whims are everywhere!_

" _Makorra angst is the best angst." ~Me_

 _Reviews of all kinds are welcome!_


	19. Leave It in the Hands of Fate

The seven-year-old Avatar was walking alongside her airbending master through the streets of Republic City. Her bright eyes peered at the massively tall buildings that towered over the streets.

It was only her second week in the city, and how she has been longing to scavenge the streets for what felt like _ages_!

"Korra, stay close to me." Tenzin reminded her gently, laying his hand on her back and pushing her forward slightly so she would keep in stride with him.

It was easy to get lost in a crowd as large and aggressive as these. She remembered there was never a large enough population of people back at the South Pole to form these kinds of herds.

They got to a patch in the sidewalk where people were there were less people to stomp on the young girl. Suddenly, she noticed the airbender beside her abruptly stopped walking. She did the same, twisting her head up to see a frazzled-looking woman was in front of her master.

"Councilman Tenzin! Oh spirits, I need to catch up with you for a minute."

"Good Morning Councilwoman Himi. What is it about?"

"The city's recession."

"Can it wait? I have Korra here right now." Tenzin looked down to the young girl who was impatiently squirming, ready for the lady to shut up so they could get on with their day.

"It will only take a minute."

Korra kicked the cracked sidewalk with her boot, moving around impatiently. Her head turned to the right of her, and she found an alleyway. She squinted down, and just in the distance she could see something…

Was that movement?

She looked back up to her airbending master, whom seemed to be consumed in the blabber the woman was spouting about.

She stared at him, even as she backed away, weaving between the legs of people before she was at the very start of the alleyway.

There was a sour and putrid smell, and she noticed in the midst of her walk that _somebody_ had decided they couldn't keep the contents of food in their stomach, and the proof was splattered across the ground.

Korra plugged her nose and carefully went around it, only releasing her grip when she was quite a few feet away from the puddle. She narrowly avoided stepping on a piece of broken glass, tiptoeing around it.

She thought nothing of the dumpster as she passed, until she saw movement as she walked past it.

A figure jumped out at her, "Don't move!"

Any regular person would throw their hands up in the air. Korra wasn't a regular person.

She turned her head swiftly to be met with stunning amber eyes. Though soft in color, it was surely burdened down with the weight of something unknown. His eyes spoke of seeing too much, things a child should never see.

Of course, that was only a guess. She knew she wasn't too good at reading people.

"You mean like _this_?" Korra took a few steps towards him, and he backed up.

"I mean it! Don't move!" He yelled again.

She caught a glimpse of a stunning green behind him, and was met with the eyes of another young boy. He cowered in fear behind what she had guessed was his older brother. She offered the young boy behind him a small smile, before looking up at the amber-eyed boy.

She took one more step towards him, testing the limits. Stretching the horizons.

He pointed his palm up, and a bright flame was born in his hand. It gave an eerie illumination to his face, but his eyes burned even brighter with the flame that he was toying with in his hand.

"Last chance!"

Korra shook her head, and turned her palm upwards in a similar fashion to him, and a flame was also born in her hands.

"It's okay, I can firebend too!" She smiled at him, proud to show her ability.

"That makes you even more dangerous!" He said, making his stance solid.

She shook her head with disapproval once again, "I won't hurt you."

"How can I know for sure?"

"I'm the Avatar." She said simply.

"What does that mean?" He questioned her, and she noticed mercy still wasn't finding its way into his eyes.

"It means I save people." She cockily smirked.

"You save people?" The boy behind him squeaked out. He shakily stood on his legs, and emerged to stand next to his older brother.

"Yes."

"How many people have you saved?" He questioned further.

She thought of it for a moment, "None."

"Then it doesn't sound like you save people." The older brother said, and she had noticed that he gave up the fire that was in his hand, but his body language still spoken of _stay-at least-ten-feet-away-from-me._

"Well, not yet." Korra said.

She looked at them, truly this time. Their hair, even in the blackness they were, were undeniably dirty, and more than likely bug-infested. Their faces were smeared with dirt and mud, and the ripped clothing they wore didn't help to protect the skin underneath that was hopeful to be clean, spared from being caked with dirt. She looked down and noticed they had no shoes.

"You need to take a bath." Korra rudely suggested.

"We can't." The older brother hissed at her.

"Why not?"

"We don't have a home."

"Why not?"

"Because we don't!" He yelled.

The young girl didn't let his yelling phase her, "Well, where are your parents?"

"We don't have any…"

Korra's eyes went wide at his bluntness.

"Oh…"

"Why?"

He sighed frustratingly with her pestering, "They were killed."

"Oh…"

 _Silence._

"I'm sorry." She said, looking up to him.

He shrugged.

She offered a piece on her childhood for him in return, "My parents were killed too." The cocky glint in her seemingly innocent eyes had disappeared, instead replaced with the repeating film of them being killed in her mind.

He looked up to her, "How?"

"Bad guys came to get me, and they killed my mommy and daddy." Her voice weakened with her words.

She looked back to him, and the moment their eyes connected, there was understanding. She had lost her parents. He had lost his. It was a mutual understanding, one born out of pain and bloodshed.

The amber-eyed boy wouldn't admit that he found comfort in her endless blue eyes. He silently commented that she was pretty, especially with her light-blue clothing that complimented her blue eyes even further, and gave more depth.

He quickly snapped himself out of his trance, not needing to get distracted by something as useless as a pretty girl.

The younger of the brothers coughed, wanting to desperately to move on from the intensely disturbing subject.

"What's your name?" Emerald-eyed boy asked.

"Korra." She answered with no hesitation.

"Yours?" She asked back.

"Bolin."

She nodded, and looked over to the older of the brothers, egging him on to share his name.

"Mako." He stated.

She saw a figure out of the corner of her eye, and she looked over to find another young boy, who looked just as orphaned, walk past the trio with zero mischievous intent, according to what Korra saw.

She saw Mako pull his backpack closer to him, suspicious of him. Her eyes closed in on a small package that almost slipped out.

"Those are bad for you!" Korra innocently cried out, pointing at the package of cigarettes. His eyes turned to look at what she was making such a fuss about, and pulled it out of his bag.

"So?"

This girl really had no idea about survival. The sticks of cancer weren't for him, rather it was to sell or trade for those who were interested, and had something to offer back. Though, he would admit that there were sometimes where his curiosity overwhelmed him. Being a firebender, he could easily light up the butt of the cigarette. Everytime, his face scrunches up with discontent, and he puts the fire out, storing it back in the package. He tried to spit the awful taste out of his mouth, doing so that he would have no more saliva in his mouth. It was a repeating cycle, every time hoping that the next time he would try it again, he would love it.

He decided it was best to keep the general view of his backpack out of her sight. She would flip if she saw the tiny liquor bottles in the bottom of the backpack that he sold for a few yuans each.

She sighed, shaking her head with disapproval.

"What games do you like to play?" Korra asked.

"We don't play games." Mako replied.

"Why not?"

"Because finding food is more important than playing games."

She grumbled, upset her peers didn't want to play with her.

She had noticed earlier that the gutter they were standing in was understandably dirty, "Why do you guys stay _here._ " She pointed at the slime that littered the floor, mixing with droppings from an animal that was unknown to her.

Mako shrugged, "The dirtier, the better."

"Why?" Korra looked up at him with disgust.

"Less people walk through here. Less people means less of a chance people will steal our things."

Korra, though upset with disgust, nodded in understanding.

Her ears perked at the call of her name from a familiar voice, "Korra? Korra, where did you go?"

She spun around to see her master searching frantically for her.

"I'm here!" She called back, waving her arms frantically.

He spotted her and his face radiated relief, even from fifty feet away.

"Don't give away our spot!" Mako hissed at her, smacking her lightly on the shoulder.

"Sorry."

"I'm coming!" She called back to her master.

She turned to the brothers, "I have to go now." She stated.

"Wait!" Bolin cried, grabbing her by her arm.

"What?"

"Will you come back?" Bolin asked.

The young avatar shrugged, and tapped her lips with her forefinger, wondering if she could see her new _friends_ again.

"I don't know. But I'll try. You guys are my friends now, right?"

Mako's answer cut off Bolin's enthusiastic nod, "We're not friends with strangers."

Korra grumbled again, "Whatever."

"Korra!" Her master called for her again.

"Coming!" She called back, and she began to walk backwards as she faced the brothers, "I'll come back tomorrow if I can! See ya later!" Those were her words of promise as she raced off to meet with the very tall, bald man dressed in ugly colors of orange.

"She was nice." Bolin said, turning to his brother. Mako only gave him a shrug.

Mako had a small wish inside of him that she wouldn't make her appearance back here again. However, that feeling was replaced with the overwhelming sense and hope that she _would indeed_ come by to greet the brothers again.

It was only fate.

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.

.

 **A/N:** _Got this idea out of nowhere. Don't shoot me. Just a little AU._

 _Very VERY slight Makorra. Just squint your eyes until everything turns blurry, and you'll see it._

 _I remembered all the way back to book 3, (or book 2, I can't remember at the moment), in the canon show, where it was revealed the Red Lotus had tried to kidnap Korra, but failed in their attempt. I brought this to life in this fanfiction, as you could tell. Mako and Bolin's history however is the same as in the canon show._

 _I have been recently informed that you are NOT allowed to use song lyrics in your fanfictions on . Wow, what a shocker, right? No big surprise I didn't ACTUALLY read the rules when I started writing._

 _So, you may ask, "What is going to happen to all of your fanfictions with song lyrics in it?" (You probably don't even care to ask actually, but I am forcing you to care.)_

 _Well, my answer is I am just going to leave them up on here unless someone actually reports my stories for it, and then they will get forcibly taken down. I really am begging that no one does this though, because I am very passionate about music, it would hurt my heart to see them taken down. However, there is nothing stopping you, so if you want to go on a reporting spree, then it is in your complete right do so._

 _From this point on, I will stop including song lyrics in my fanfictions to avoid any further complications._

 _However, I am fiercely loyal and passionate about the music I listen to, and since I can't quote them on here and add depth to the story, I will instead list the song I was listening to while writing the story. (I will really only do this if I feel like the song gave me intense inspiration, or I was originally going to quote from it)._

 _Of course it is your freedom to not listen to the song, but I suggest you do to get a full feel on what I am trying to entail in the stories I write. Also, I have DAMN GOOD taste in music, so ya'll will love it. I swear._

 _Enjoy my loves!_

 _Song~ Darkside by Alan Walker_


	20. To Be Unmistaken

Mako stretched as he slowly came to consciousness, blinking away the clips of sunlight that were invading between the tiny cracks of the shudders on the window.

He slightly shifted, and that's when he noticed that a _particularly sensitive_ part of his body slightly grazed the blanket he was under. He lifted up the blanket, only to be met with the truth that he was completely naked.

Confused, he looked around frantically for his mysteriously hidden clothing before his eyes landed upon a particular water tribe girl. He could see her long, brown hair swimming past her shoulders and laying sprawled out on his pillow.

 _Oh no…_

He remembered everything suddenly, it all coming to his mind at once. It all came _too_ fast, that it almost knocked all of the wind out him, leaving him barely gasping for air.

He stared at her for the longest time, too afraid to move and wake her up and be met with the humiliating one-night stand walk-of-shame that everyone did. Well, _almost_ everyone.

He knew his brother had dealt with situations like these before. However, it was not his brother that was shameful. It was rather the pretty-faced girl that would run out of their apartment early the next morning, wearing the tight evening dress from the night before, makeup smudged and carrying her high heels because they had no chance at balancing in those things at _this_ hour of the morning.

Mako would be sitting at the breakfast-nook table by then, drinking his morning tea and waiting for his little brother to come out so he could give a disapproving scowl. Bolin would usually come out, wiggling his eyebrows and clicking his tongue in defiance, saying _oh, if only you knew._

But Mako never had to deal with shameful thoughts the morning after, because he never was so much of an idiot to put himself in that situation in the first place.

But _ta-da!_ Here he was, laying in bed next to a sleeping Korra, nevertheless his team mate, which Mako had given firm instructions to Bolin earlier that week about how dating her was a bad idea.

Of course, it would be Korra to make him do impulsive and idiotic things, such as this.

 _This girl_ _ **really is**_ _crazy._

He wanted to so badly jump out of the bed, acting as if she has set the bed sheets on fire and he was being burned alive. But his humiliation kept him frozen in place.

This wasn't good…

The night wasn't a jumble or a blur, seeing as he wasn't intoxicated, and neither was she. He remembered every detail perfectly.

 _Flash_

"Look, we need to talk. Sometimes you can be _so_ infuriating, a-"

"Save your breath," She demanded, cutting him off, "you've already made it clear how you feel about me."

"No, I haven't. Look, what I'm trying to say is, as much as you drive me crazy, I also think you're pretty amazing."

His confession caught her attention, and she turned around to face him, "So… you do like me?" Her voice was unsteady, the pitch going up, higher than he's ever heard it. It leaked of twinkling hope.

"Yes, but I like Asami too. I don't know, things are complicated. But I've been feeling really confused and-"

He was cut off once again, except this kind of interruption was much kinder and warmer than words. His eyes widened with surprise as she pressed her lips to his suddenly. The action was fast and desperate, and she stubbornly leaned further into the kiss to prevent him from leaving.

He knew he should pull away, but that seemed like an impossible and _very_ distant thought. Her mouth was so warm, so inviting… Her lips were soft, even as chapped as they were. Sparks of fire ignited his nerves and he craved the touch even more.

He let his eyes droop, and he pushed into the kiss also, furthering the passion and the anticipation.

The kiss didn't stop. Not even when youthful and lustful desires penetrated their minds, and they both clumsily stumbled up the stairs towards the brothers attic.

 _End_

His eyes gazed over the placid look on Korra's face as she slept, more than likely dreamlessly. Her eyes were shut, lightly so. Her hair sprawled out in different directions, and Mako couldn't help but think how cute she looked. Her features on her face were flushed, and he knew the pink blush that still tinted her cheeks and tipped at the corners of her mouth was from the aftermath of her orgasm.

His eyes wandered further, and he found the first signs of his abuse on her neck. A purple bruise decorated where her pulse was.

He found a few more bite marks and bruises along her shoulder, and the blanket just barely touched the undersides of her breasts. Her nipples, pebbled and hardened from her earlier arousal, looked much of a lighter shade than he saw in the dark hours of the night just some odd hours ago. He found it strange, seeing as her complexion looked much more inclined to serve a darker color that complimented the rest of her body.

He brushed the thought off, seeing as he thought that her body was perfect.

In a gesture of affection, he took the tips of the blanket and recovered her modesty, bringing it all the way up to her abused shoulders.

He brushed a lock of hair out of her face, thinking that it was tickling at her skin and bothering her.

He sighed discontentedly.

He hadn't meant for it to go this far.

Seriously, how could _one_ kiss lead to something like _this_? It was something useless, something dumb that shouldn't have caught him up in a web of drama and swirled emotions like it did, much less make him so stupid that it made him jump into bed with another girl. A girl that was amazing, even so. A girl that was beautiful, as Bolin had said. A girl that was Korra.

A girl that was _not_ his girlfriend.

Asami was stunningly gorgeous. She was kind, and helpful, and _extremely_ generous, seeing as she had sponsored the Fire Ferrets into the tournament. She was amazing all around.

But she _wasn't_ Korra, and that's what really bothered the firebender.

Guilt had settled over him even more, like a cloud over his head that he could not escape, when he remembered that Bolin had an insanely major crush on Korra.

Thinking of Bolin, he almost jumped at the remembrance that he had locked the door when they came up the stairs, not wanting to be interrupted. It was for the best anyway, Mako really didn't want his brother's heart shattered in the sight of his own flesh and blood getting intimate in bed with the girl he liked. He was thanking Yue at the luck they had that Bolin hadn't been around for any of it. He had seen how Bolin reacted to getting his heart broken from previous relationships, and it wasn't a pretty sight in the slightest.

He tried to push all those negative thoughts of his mind. He had heard all the amazing stories about your first time and the morning after, and how the afterglow is amazing as you bask in the morning sun, naked next to your lover.

He had even heard his brothers story, despite his efforts to simply block out all talk of his little brothers sex life. However, after many minutes of him holding his hands over his ears, and several loud, obnoxious _Lalalalala_ 's later, Bolin had coaxed his hands away from his ears and told him the rather simple and modest details.

That's when Mako remembered that Korra is his first. He had given his virginity to her, a sign and bond that was irreplaceable. You couldn't take that kind of bond you made with someone, no matter what, because they will always have that memory and a certain power over knowing it was each others first time.

He didn't need to ask if Korra had given her innocence to him. He knew right away, as soon as she screwed her eyes shut when he entered her, and the way her body tensed with discomfort. Not to mention the fact that he had to pass a certain barrier, an experience that was definitely not pleasurable for Korra, when she muffled a whine in her throat as small amount of blood seeped out of her.

Mako freaked out when he saw it, instantly pulling out and asking over and over _what is that, are you okay?_ And, _is that supposed to happen?_ And, most embarrassing of all, _are you on your period?_

He wasn't freaked out over the blood because he didn't want it to get on him. He had a condom on, and even if he didn't that wouldn't be his concern. He was more worried over the fact that he hurt her in some way, and made her bleed.

She silences his questions with a kiss, and when she pulled back she whispered rassurances to him that yes, indeed that was supposed to happen. He tried to focus on her words when she told him he tore something that was meant to be torn, but his head was already dizzy and distracted from the monumental amounts of adrenaline that pulsed through him with every beat of his heart.

Their bodies joined once again soon after that first bump in the road, and Mako smiled at the thought that they messed up _a lot_ in the action of having intercourse for the first time.

He shook his head, finding himself creepy in a way that he was replaying last night's events in his head.

He looked over at Korra once again, her face still etched with peace as she basked in sleep. He finally let his body relax, laying back down on the bed. He scooted over next to Korra, finding immediately warmth that radiated from her as he threw his arm over the curve of her waist.

 _Well, maybe this isn't so bad…_

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 _ **A/N;**_ _Yes yes, I know, these characters are definitely OOC. Please, I don't need an earful of how much I suck at keeping characters_ _ **in**_ _character… I already know, thank you very much ladies and gentlemen._

" _Makorra romance is the best romance." ~Me_

 _I am a whore for reviews, so please be so gracious and leave one._


	21. Love n' Letters

**One shot that takes place between book 2 and book 3.**

 **.**

 **.**

The tip of the ballpoint pen met with the clean and crisp whiteness of the paper.

 _Greetings, Korra_.

.

.

.

 _That's the dumbest thing I've ever wrote._ Mako thought negatively.

He crumbled up the paper and threw it in the gray trash can next to his desk. He grabbed a fresh sheet of paper, setting it down on the desk.

The pen and paper once again joined together.

 _Dear Avatar Korra,_

 _Too formal_. _This is supposed to be a letter to Korra, Mako! This isn't a letter to the Earth Queen asking her to grace everyone with her presence at a royal boutique._

He shook his head, crumpling a paper up for the second time that day.

He took a third sheet, slamming it on the table in uncharacteristic annoyance.

 _Dear Korra,_

Yeah, this was the perfect way to start off the letter. This was _too_ easy.

 _How are you doing?_

' _Are you seriously that thick-skulled, you idiot? Obviously not well, she's in a wheelchair for spirits sake!'_

Despite the distaste he had for the first sentence, he continued writing.

 _I hope you are doing well. I am._

' _So you're bragging about your happiness while she sits in the gloom? Good job, you knucklehead.'_

He began to write about his accomplishments so far since she had been gone. It's only been four months, but he strangely had a nagging feeling that desperately wanted to physically see her. It was the longest they had been apart since knowing each other, and the thought of her being a world away made him feel queasy, and a questionable squeeze gripped his heart.

The thoughts had plagued his mind so much so he had absentmindedly started writing about how much he missed her.

 _I really do miss you. My brain has to make up for all the insults that I have been deficient of, so there are many days when I have to call myself an idiot for you._

He ached to feel the sharp connection of her knuckles connecting with his shoulder in a subtle way of showing affection.

He so wanted to have the right to miss the feeling of her chapped lips against his own, but that was not his to miss anymore. They were no longer together, and that was a fact. It had been that way for a couple of months. And so, he had to deal with it.

 _I hope to see you soon_. He wrote, and he noticed a dull ache beginning to overtake his right hand.

He wrote a quick goodbye, and folded the paper, stuffing it in the envelope. His face turned slightly sour as he licked it, then closed the envelope shut, rubbing his thumb over it a few times to make sure it stuck. He needed to get to the post office before they closed.

Mako made it in an astounding fifteen minutes before closing time, and as he walked nonchalantly down the road, he remembered something he wrote on the letter…

His body turned rigid and horror spread on his face, his heart dropping inch by inch.

…

 _I hope to see you soon._

 _ **Love**_ _, Mako._

.

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 **A/N;** _Sorry this is so short! It's just something cute I came up with today while I was, ironically, studying how to create a formal, yet friendly letter in my English class. You would think by 10th grade, they would just assume you know how to do it, considering they make you do things 1000x over, but nope. They won't layoff. (Seriously, I learned that stuff in third grade!)_

 _Review or else I will smack you with my cane._

 _:)_


	22. On Nights like These

_Takes place sometime after Book 1._

 _._

 _._

 _._

They both sat on the couch in the warmed attic of the Pro-bending Arena. Korra was lulled into a light sleep by the rhythmic pulsing of his heart that pumped fiercely, surely due to a firebenders passion for strength.

Unknowingly, the strong beat of her heart had matched up with his, creating a beautiful symphony that only their subconscious could hear. They didn't know it, but their souls fit together like two puzzle pieces. They had both been separated, ignoring the fact that they never met each other only a few months prior, and joining together a missing piece of the puzzle was only logical and merciful.

Their souls had been reunited, yet strangely never apart. At the same time, never known…

He caught a glimpse of those cerulean blue orbs that held the beautiful colors of the seas, yet also crashed with the stubborn and lively fire that he knew was always burning inside of her.

 _We're like two peas in one pod_ he thought, smirking.

However, a question was burning in his mind. It was a lively fire, good versus evil. Himself versus wicked self-doubt. Fire versus fire.

But then the intrude questions, who in their right mind would fight fire with fire? Wouldn't that just increase the destruction by twofold? Fire can only burn. Fire can only scar. Fire can only take away beautiful life and turn it into crippling ashes that leave evidence and reminders in its path; soot covering your fingertips, so everything you touch is suddenly dark and malicious and stained with death.

Fire is the worst element to be burdened with.

It's a battle. Except for everything dark and negative is plaguing and corrupting his entire mind, forbidding anything pure to enlighten him.

 _I will ask her..._ Because she is the beacon of good and pure things. He hopes she will send down a storm of tiny raindrops filled with bits of her spirit to him; because he knows she is the only good thing that has happened in his life since before his parents died. Maybe she can take away the fear, the pain. The overwhelming guilt that leaves his eyes wet with salt and his mind exhausted of thoughts, and on those nights after continuous hours of screaming into the once peaceful night air, _they didn't deserve this,_ all that is on his mind afterward is sleep… _sleepsleepsleep._ But even then reality is still in its cruel scheme, sending the same flashback of his parents bodies lying cold and motionless on the floor, lightning illuminating their stilled bodies.

Lightning strikes.

 _Flash_

" _Can I ask what happened to your parents?"_

 _A sigh escapes him. He isn't exactly in the mood for storytelling, his brother's mysterious absence is enough of a foggy burden on his mind; he doesn't need to be remembering about the cruel fate of his parents too._

" _They were mugged by a firebender. Cut them down right in front of me. I was eight…"_

" _Mako…" Her voice dripped of pity. He hated that. He hated pity. He didn't_ _ **want**_ _pity, he wanted his parents back. And if she couldn't give them back, her heartbreak was rendered automatically useless._

" _Bolin is the only family I have left. If anything happened to him…"_

 _Flash_

He already hated himself enough after he discovered he could firebend. To cross a young boys mind, only at the age of ten, that he was like his parents killer was enough to make him bitter and angry and resentful of life.

 _Fire is bad…_

 _Fire is evil…_

 _Fire is death…_

But _he will_ ask her…

He has to bite his top lip down on his lower lip to keep it from quivering as he readies himself.

"Korra?" An embarrassing squeak omitted from his mouth.

"Hmm?" She hums, and he can feel the vibrations that bounce around in her throat. She is still in a haze, drowsy as she tries to focus her attention on his words.

"Do you think if my parents could see me today, they would be proud?"

The question surely catches her by surprise, as she frees herself from the warm cocoon Mako's arms had given her. She semi sits up and turns her neck to study his face. He allows her to search all over his expression.

"There's not a doubt in my mind." Her voice says softly.

Somehow, a warm feeling spread across his chest at her approval. However, self-questioning always lingers.

"But I have hurt so many people… Stolen from so many people." He says, his voice suddenly lowering.

"Mako. Think of a time when you did any of those things when it wasn't for the survival of you and Bolin." She demands.

His mind immediately starts racking for scenarios, but ultimately he draws up a blank.

"Can't think of any, hmm?" She questions.

"No…"

"Exactly. Everything you did was to protect you and Bolin and to keep you two alive. Your parents know you had to do those things in order to live. You have taken care of Bolin, fed him, housed him… You have done everything you can for him, and more. They are so proud of you."

"Thank you, Korra…" He says with a genuine smile, a dazzling and handsome smile that sends off dopamine in her brain and leaves her heart pumping erratically with enthusiasm. She loves it when he smiles, especially when his reaction is to something that she has done or said.

"Anytime." She says, offering him a smile back, accompanied by a well-appreciated peck on the lips.

She pulls back, a question in her eyes.

"But the real question here, _city boy,_ is how your parents would react if you brought me home." A smirk covers her face.

He knows even behind the sarcastic tone and that _god-damn-so-cute_ smirk that is plastered on her face, it's a genuine question that she is actually wondering about. He can tell she is eagerly waiting for an answer, though she's failing at trying not to make it obvious that she is nervous.

He taps the tip of her nose with his forefinger, "They would be tripping over themselves to meet you." He says, smiling.

"Because I'm the avatar?" She jokes, but he can tell deep down it's an insecurity.

"Because," he starts as he adoringly and affectionately brushes the bangs that hang in front of her eyes back and tucks them behind her ears, "you're Korra. Beautiful, smart, amazing Korra. They wouldn't care if you're the Avatar or not, they would probably be excited to meet you anyway."

He can see red dusting her cheeks at his generous complimenting, "Are you sure I am all of that? I'm pretty sure it's kind of illegal to fit that many amazing things about me in one single sentence."

"Being the Avatars boyfriend and all, it kinda gives me several advantages. I am above the law, miss." He jokes; something that was a rarity.

She snorts at his lame joke, "Oh, but I'm not? That kind of explains it, seeing as not even an hour after I got into the city for the first time, I was arrested."

He laughs, "Beifong still asks me every morning if you're out being a vigilante, destroying public property."

"Oh yeah, and what's your response to that?"

"Always."

She snorts again, whining with discontent.

"That woman still hates me."

"No, she doesn't. She just thinks you're… a tad too careless when you go out sauntering into the public streets, looking for some criminals to punch in the face, and some buildings to uproot, like the hero you are."

"Ooh, so I am a hero even to you, officer Mako?" She jokes.

He smirks, "Always."

"Would you mind demonstrating to me the reward for being _such an important_ city hero?"

"Not at all." He says, his tongue brushing up against the pulse at her neck, listening to the wonderful melody of her breathless laughs and sighs forming together.

" _One day just father told me_

 _Son, don't let it slip away._

 _He took me in his arms,_

 _I heard him say…_

 _When you get older,_

 _Your wild heart will live for younger days._

 _Think of me if ever you're afraid_

 _He said, one day you'll leave this world behind,_

 _So live a life you will remember._

 _My father told me when I was just a child,_

 _That these are the nights that never die._

 _My father told me…"_

 _~ "The Nights"_

 _lyrics by; Avicci._

 _RIP Avicci 3_

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 _ **A/N;**_ _Time as I am typing this author's note; 2:24 AM. Only the spirits know why I am doing this to myself. Like, seriously, why do I mess up my body clock like this?_

 _Okay, okay… I am done with making chapters about depresso Mako being OOC. We're MOVING ON FROM THIS THEME NOW!_

 _I apologize for the last chapter. At the very beginning, I accidentally set the time between book 2 and 3, when obviously I meant book 3 and book 4, because obviously my extremely tired yet dumb brain couldn't comprehend the fact that KORRA WASN'T IN A WHEELCHAIR IN BOOK 2. WHY CAN'T I GET THESE THINGS THROUGH MY THICK SKULL?_

 _NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW I AM TOO TIRED TO REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT PART OF THE STORY, I MENTIONED THE EARTH QUEEN SOMEWHERE… REALLY MAKAYLA, REALLY? WE LITERALLY SAW THE EARTH QUEEN DIE, WE SAW IT WITH OUR OWN EYES THE AIR BEING SUCKED FROM HER LUNGS, HER DYING OF ASPHYXIATION, AND EVEN YOU'RE PATHETICALLY TIRED BRAIN COULDN'T REMEMBER THAT? WELL, OKAY THEN._

 _Okay, I am done with caps. Anyway, I hope you at least enjoy this ACCURATE chapter. Cheers my readers, and leave a review because I am pathetic and need that sort of redemption and motivation. :)_

 _Also, yes, I know, I used a song quote, and songfics are 'illegal', but I couldn't help myself, guys. I thought it matched up so well with Mako and his dad… ;(. I also just don't keep promises, so go me for breaking the law._


	23. Childhood Traumas

**This is an M rated chapter for inappropriate sexual behavior.**

 **Please only read if you think you're okay to do so.**

* * *

I. Trauma

* * *

 _Scrub it off_ , she thinks as she slams her hand down on the body wash dispenser for what she believes is the sixth time. The sweet Jasmine scent floods her nose and she briefly thinks that she's got too much soap when the smell of it starts to sting her nose instead of delight it.

 _Never can be enough_ , she assures herself and continues to rubbing the soap all over herself.

 _But mostly her hands wander_ _ **down there**_ _, where she scrubs and scrubs until she's almost sure she has rubbed herself raw._

She quickly changes the temperature of the hissing water above, setting it to as cold as it will allow. The sudden change causes her hair to rise with goosebumps.

She opens her legs further, allowing the cold water to soothe the stinging sensation down there. She sighs; not with pleasure, but with relief.

That's not the only place she targets. It's _all over_ her body. She will scrub the skin everywhere until the only thing left is a few less layers of skin and her whole entire body is stinging so much all she can do is sit and cry, hoping that the cold water will recover her.

She can't heal herself with the water. The skin has to grow back on it's own.

The wet tears travel down her face, (it's the only kind of warmth she can feel at the moment), quickly washed away by the cold fresh water; taking anything it can with it down the drain.

It reminds her, almost, like a motherly touch.

Maybe that's why she liked to cry in the shower. The feeling of something, _anything,_ brushing away the tears from her face remind her much when she was young. She saw many children around her who would trip once it a while, running to their mothers with an elbow that dripped blood and already had started to form a scab. _Their_ mothers would shush them and rock them in their laps until they decided they felt better.

Korra couldn't even recall a memory of when her mother ever hugged her.

 _Oh well,_ she thinks bitterly, _this will have to do._

* * *

 _Mako_

He has created a list in his head.

No, not _a_ list. _The_ List. _The_ List that demonstrated things you should _never_ say or do around Korra. He has been building it up over the past year and a half they have been together, adding to it quite frequently.

 _One: never leave the toilet seat up._

( _Spirits, in some ways Korra is a typical woman!)_

 _Two:_ _ **Always**_ _put extra sugar in Korra's tea._

 _(He learned that the hard way after part of his left eyebrow was singed off one evening when a particularly hormonal Korra needed her sugar fix)._

 _Three: Never EVER accidently walk in on Korra taking a bath._

 _(For some reason, she will scream like it's the end of the world…?)_

 _Four: Cuddling in bed is a no-go._

 _(There have been many nights where he has ended up with a black eye)._

 _Five: Don't shush Korra while she is crying._

 _(That will send her into a complete meltdown, for a reason unknown to him)._

 _Si- Well, he got the point long ago._

Either way, there are many lines with Korra that he has not been granted the right to step across.

He doesn't ask why. He doesn't ask why she behaves this way, or why even kissing him gives her flashbacks to a time where she felt unsafe.

So, he doesn't ask. He has never asked, and he suspects he never will. So for right now, he is okay brushing away mysterious tears of anguish, and calming upset hiccups.

When she is ready, she will tell him…

hopefully.

* * *

II. Childhood

* * *

Korra never knew her biological father. Apparently, to what her mother told her, he was there during Korra's first couple years of life. Then he just up and went. Her mother never specified to where, or when. She used to mumble on continuously about him being a dead-beat.

She would think, even though she was so young, she would have some sort of recollection of him being there. But he is just a faint story, only stuck in memories because his title.

She would fantasize a lot about how her childhood would have turned out if her dad stayed around. Perhaps instead of not knowing how to ride a bike, even at the age of nineteen, she would have learned when she was five. She smiles fondly as she imagines a person with no face and an unknown name holding the back of her seat as she peddled away on two wheels.

But that is just a daydream. And she has to come back to reality.

* * *

III. The 'No-No Spot'

* * *

Her mother had a specific name for The Place. She called it the "No-No Spot".

She first talked about it when Korra was only five.

" _We call it the No-No Spot because you don't let anybody touch you there, got it? If somebody ever does, you tell them 'no'."_

Her mother's voice, deep but still feminine, rang through her head and bounced around.

However, the word 'no' didn't suffice.

It was very clear a 'no' was not enough, many nights it was proven as older men who had followed her mother into her bedroom only to later emerge and make their way to Korra's room.

Many nights she would wake to the rough hands of somebody snaking their way under her quilt. Ash-tipped fingers would slip past the brim of her underwear…

The first time it happened she said a firm, _no._ When the person didn't stop was when her timidness turned into fright, her whole body freezing and stuck in the moment, paralyzing her entire body.

She was stuck in the moment, yet even when it had past it felt like it was repeated, like a film, every second.

These men were not just satisfied with what her mother had to offer. They were looking for something _else_ to satisfy their cravings.

Korra learned to pick out who were the men that would be high-risk of invading her room at night.

Those who would instantly greet Korra with a toothless-grin and the ones who would make themselves more than comfortable with touching her shoulder.

The ones who didn't care for her presence would rather get to the _fun_ things with her mother, the both of them resorting to her room.

Korra would sigh with relief when a deep and grizzly voice would say, "Money's on the dresser." Before loud footsteps would echo on the tile and soon enough she would hear the _bang_ of the door closing.

She realised soon enough that when she picked out the creeps who would more than likely try to make 'friends' later that night, she would close and lock her door. It seemed to work well, when many of them would just grumble and walk away, not wanting to create commotion and then having to explain to her mother why they were trying to get into her daughter's room at midnight.

Before she began to lock her door, these people would be so rough with her that she ended up crying, not just from her overwhelming confusion but also at the fact that the things they were doing _hurt._ There were many days she spent crying about the soreness between her legs.

One day she started bleeding from _there_. She scrambled to her mother, telling her about the spots of red that decorated her underwear.

" _Mommy, I am bleeding."_

" _Toughen up." Her mother said back, uninterested in her daughters well being as she took another puff from her cigarette._

" _No, mama, I am bleeding…" She stopped, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment. She cupped her hands around her mouth before whispering, "down there." Into her mother's ear._

" _Well, it sounds like you are officially a woman then! Congratulations." Her tone was mock-like, acting interested and excited even though really she meant the exact opposite._

 _The seven-year-olds face twisted with disgust, and she cocked her head to the side._

" _Spirits, even these six and seven and eight year olds are starting to have periods. They're all goin' to be pregnant by the time they are ten. What is wrong with this world?!" Her mother exclaimed, taking another puff._

 _Korra kept her mouth shut, but she so badly wanted to plead, yes-mama-I-am-bleeding-down-there-but-it's-not-for-the-reason-you-think-do-you-understand-now?_

" _Go on now, kid. Get out of my face." She shooed her daughter away, and Korra went to her room and cried for a reason that was unknown to her._

* * *

"You know that you can tell me literally anything, right? I wouldn't judge you at all." Mako says out of the blue one day.

Korra looks over at him, and she can tell by his expression he was working up the courage to say that for the last ten minutes.

She nods and gives him a small smile, "Of course."

He gives a small nod and smile back, but she can tell he's disappointed when nothing follows her acknowledgement.

He can only keep hoping.

* * *

IV. Nightmares

* * *

 _The hue is quite pleasant. She feels immediate warmth, and with that warmth comes secureness. She opens her eyes and finds that there is a fireplace directly to her right._

 _She realises she is rocking back and forth and she looks up to find a middle aged man. He is humming something so sweet it would taste like candy in your mouth._

 _His eyes are closed and he looks secluded within himself. Tranquility._

 _Korra decides she is safe, and she turns back to the fire, now resting safely in the man's lap, letting the back of her head rest on his chest._

 _Nothing is out of the ordinary. Nothing is strange. Nothing is causing disturbances. She feels safe, like the seven-year-old should._

 _Her legs hang limply of the man's knees. Finally after a while she lets her eyes close, melting into the moment as the fire keeps her warm and safe and the hums of the man's song flood her ears._

 _The moment is shattered when the man moves his hand and lays it on her pudgy thigh._

 _Fear floods her instantly. She is screaming in her head_ _ **no no no nononono,**_ _and_ _ **this is bad. Bad bad badbadbad.**_

 _But her body is paralyzed. She feels like her throat is closing in on itself and she wonders in a panic if she can breathe._

 _Fingertips lift up her dress, and travel further up her thigh until the barrier of her underwear is addressed in a crude manner, as the stranger simply moves aside the clothing and begins to roughly touch her…_

" _No!"_ Korra's scream echos through the attic, surely waking up anybody within a mile distance.

A figure she can only assume is Mako flings into a sitting position beside her.

Deep, desperate breaths intoxicate the space as Korra heaves with every inhale, like it was a chore.

"Wh- are you okay?" Mako desperately asked, and she can only imagine how much she scared him out of sleep.

She shook her head at first, refusing to answer until her throat wasn't dry and the room stopped spinning and when she didn't feel like throwing up.

After a few minutes of silence, gathering her wits and Mako patiently sitting beside her, rubbing comforting circles in her back, did she answer with a quick, _I'm okay_ , before she broken down crying.

* * *

V. Too far

* * *

Mako didn't know what time it was. He could maybe guess… one in the morning? Possibly two.

He hadn't meant to stay up this late. But he could tell Korra was in a deep thought. It had kept him up. Silent, but he needed to make sure she was okay.

Suddenly she spoke, "C'mere."

He rolled on his other side and perched up on his elbow, squinting to find her eyes in the darkness.

"What?"

Their eyes finally found one another.

"Get on top of me."

Mako's expression turned that to an extremely confused one.

"Korra- _what?"_

He heard a breathy huff from her, "Just do it."

Heavily confused, although not willing to face the wrath of the Avatar, he did as he was told. He got up and straddled her waist, each knee on the sides of her torso.

This position was awkward for the both of them. Neither had ever got in such an intimate position with each other before.

He could hear a sudden intake of breath from Korra- he could tell she was preparing herself for… whatever she had in mind. He knew this was hard for her, but he fell silent until she was ready to speak.

"Kiss me." She said, looking up at him.

"Korra, I- are you sure? You don't seem too sure and I don't want to do anything yo-"

She cut him off quickly, using her hand to place on his cheek as a sign that she was comfortable… well, as comfortable as she could be.

He said a quiet _okay_ before continuing on. He slowly and gently as possible pressed his lips against hers.

Korra accepted his kiss, pressing back with equal force. Her heart skips a beat when she remembers they had never had a make out session before because anytime it was initiated she would flip out.

But this felt different. Perhaps it was because a secure and warm body, that belonged to a person she trusted hovered above her with absolutely zero intent to hurt her or harm her. For the first time in a long, _long_ time, she felt safe with a man who was in her bed in the pitch black.

She tries to remember the last time she felt safe with a man in her bed, and she draws back to when she was young. _Very_ young. Perhaps a toddler. A man with a blurry face sang _goodnight, sweetheart_ , as he lay her down for the night in her bed.

Mako shifts above her, and she feels his warm lips gently kiss her on the forehead. An innocent kiss. The most innocent of all.

He kisses each temple. He moves down, and she giggles in an undeniably _girly_ way when he puts a kiss on the tip of her nose. He smiles at her briefly before continuing.

A kiss on each cheek. An awkward kiss on her chin.

And then he moves down.

She expected this; for him to test her limits on what is out-of-boundaries.

She prepares herself; but the only thing she can think of now is how her heart is pounding in her chest and how _loud_ the _bump bump bump_ is in her ears.

Mako begins by gently kissing all sides and all spots on her neck. Then, he starts to tenderly suck over her pulse.

Korra hums in delight to this; and for a split second she forgets the horror she went through. All she focuses on is the pleasure he's being her, and for once she wants _more._

But the second his tongue brushes against the skin; licking the bruise that is forming is when everything stops.

The brush of his tongue against her skin sends a jolt of pure pleasure through her; and she held back a sigh of pleasure as it settled in her throat and she made a heavenly hum. The only difference is this time it travels down her spine and settles between her legs.

Everything comes flooding back to her. And she screams within herself _bad, bad, badbadbadbad._

She violently shoved Mako, more than likely bruising both of his shoulders.

He immediately reacted, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I- are you all right?"

He considered hugging her but he realised that was probably the least helpful thing he could do at the moment. Instead, he let her make the next move.

She lunged herself at him; throwing her arms around his torso and letting breathy cries get soaked up by his ripped white T-shirt.

That's when Mako knew it was okay to comfort. To touch and to share emotions through shared tears and disturbing memories.

He rocked their bodies back and forth, stroking her hair gently in the process, (which is something that she has only recently allowed him to do. She wouldn't before because of an odd fear he would roughly yank on it).

Neither of them got much sleep that night.

* * *

VI. Opening up

* * *

Over the next few months, Korra opens up more and more to Mako. However, not without firstly making him promise not to tell anyone.

He swore on his life.

Mako, at first, was infuriated with some of the things she was telling him.

If he was getting angry just at mentioning how her mother neglected her, Korra decided she should wait on telling him the… _other_ details.

* * *

VII. Healing

* * *

 _It was the same dream. Same setting. Same fireplace. Same stranger with a blurry face of whom she was sitting in the lap in._

 _She suspected nothing wrong. She looked over to her right and found a mug on the coffee table in her reach. At the touch, the mug was warm. She took a sip, and hummed at the delight sweetness and fruity taste of the lukewarm substance._

 _Apple Cider._

 _She set the cup back, letting herself slump against the person who was rocking them both._

 _Legs dangling off his knee, and a comfortable glow of warmth traveling through her, she let her eyes slide close._

 _Until the hand roughly squeezed her thigh._

 _She held her breath, let her eyes freeze open. But only for a second before she calmly grabbed the hand and placed it off her._

 _The hand came back to search for forbidden places, but each time she was able to ward it off and still relax. Terror wasn't in her mind. A surprising amount of calmness filled her as she took the strangers hands off her, again and again and again and againagainagain._

* * *

Korra snapped out of her dream, throwing the blankets off of her as she erected into a sitting position.

Mako followed her movements, just like every time she did this.

She felt a gentle touch on her back.

"Are you okay?"

Panic and terror was absent. She felt surprisingly calm; just like in the dream. Some sort of bravery flooded her mind and system, intoxicating her with positivity.

She though _if I can fight this while I am sleeping, just think of what I can do when I'm awake…_

She looked over to the black silhouette to her left, finding his blazing golden eyes even through the thick black mist.

She leaned forward; allowing their lips to touch for a moment. It was so soft she wondered for a split second if she was even kissing him.

She pulled back, putting her forehead against his and looked deep into his eyes with a new found determination and love.

Her lips pulled up into a sad smile, "I'm getting there."

* * *

 **A/N:** _I just want to say before I piss anybody off that I am not saying all men are thirsty pedos that prey on young children. I am also not saying all women are escorts who trash-talk men and are bitches. I just decided to use polar opposites in this story, because, well I just saw it as fitting. I promise, I'm not trying to push any radical views on y'all._

 _Anyways, I don't exactly know why I chose such a dark theme. I actually started writing a Mako's version of this- except when he was on the streets. I even started Mako's version long before I even thought of this. However, I just binge wrote this at 2:27 AM on a Wednesday night after doing 10 hours of school work. GO ME!_

 _Mako's version will be up next chapter!_

 _Sorry I've been absent for a month or two :/. I never mentioned it, but I Online school now and honestly it's really fast-paced and I put in the same amount of time, (sometimes even more) online than I did in public. (SO convenient, right?)_

 _Thanks for keeping up with Makorra Drabbles!_

" _Makorra angst is the best angst." ~Me._

 _I would love to hear some feedback! :)_


	24. Burning in The Past

A moan that was filled to the brim with despair and helplessness cut through the early morning air.

He shifted in uncomfortable unconsciousness, giving a pathetic and embarrassing whimper after his _very_ vocal disapproval.

 _Blood_.

 _Oh spirits, there was blood… Tons of it. He guessed there was enough to fill three - maybe four bodies. A possible over-estimation, but your mind does that sort of thing when what you've experienced trauma._

The howling arduous groans and cries of his mother's and father's mixed together, creating a hauntingly disturbing symphony.

He shifted again, the sticky sheet of sweat that resided on his porcelain skin created a rather uncomfortable second-skin, as the covers beneath him stuck greedily.

" _Mommy? Mommy, wake up! Mommy, what's wrong? What happened?!"_

 _A rather sticky substance that was of crimson color covered his hands._

 _He looked up to find his mother's eyes half-lidded in drowsiness from the loss of blood._

" _Shh, calm down baby."_

 _Calm down? How could he calm down?!_

 _Her soft voice ushered his sobs to quiet down to a mild level._

" _Listen, Mako baby."_

 _He looked up with scarce hope in his eyes._

" _I love you, very much. Take care of Bolin for mommy, okay? Can you do that baby?"_

 _His youthful mind was at a loss. Sure, he had babysat his younger brother a few times before, never more for an hour at a time. But her words seemed so final, so lost…_

" _No, mommy. I-I can't." His words choked up in his throat, which has been straining as it threatened to close in on him._

" _Yes, you can."_

A sob escaped his parched mouth once again, in dream and in reality.

The dream was about to come to its devastating yet identical closure, just like every other time…

"Mako." A deep, familiar voice half whispered, half yelled.

His foggy mind hadn't registered who it was quite yet, and he still lay in the total paralyzing fear and imprisonment of his mind and his past.

"Wake up Mako! You're having a dream!"

His dream world vanished before his eyes in minimal seconds.

"Huh?" He dumbly hummed out, shaking his head vigorously in an attempt to relieve his daze.

"You were having a nightmare." Her voice was softer this time, saturated with sympathy and understanding.

"Oh…"

He rubbed his eyes with a gloved palm, (which to Korra's wonder, he even wore them to bed), ridding the sleep in his eyes and hoping to relieve the redness that was most definitely there.

Korra sighed with discontent - this had been happening a lot. Not just recently, she can only guess how much he suffered during the luminous nights alone, without anyone to wake him from his thrashing nightmares. She had moved in recently, the couple taking a huge new step in their relationship that, although some weak points had occurred, was still strong and passionate a year later.

These nightmares happened _at least_ two times a week. If it was concealed to the low of twice per week, it was considered to be an amazing week, with minimal loss of sleep.

"I have a migraine, I'm going to go get some aspirin." He stated, shifting to throw the quilt that covered his quivering frame, sliding easily from the slippery-damp sheets.

He sighed when he realized there was a pair of footsteps following him.

She was sweet- really, she was. She wanted to make him feel better, and he admired that. But he really wanted to sort out his deranged and scattered thoughts alone, without a certain Avatar there to interrupt the mentally-tiring process of regaining his wits.

But Korra was selfless. Korra was kind (at least, to her own accord). Korra was admirable and loving.

 _Damn her_.

Mako ghosted his fingertips along the edge of the cupboard door and lightly pulled it open. He easily reached and got the blue bottle off of the top shelf.

He unscrewed the cap, curiously looking over to his girlfriend - who definitely had a bed head - selflessly turning on the tap and holding a crystal clear glass under it, allowing cool water to gush from the faucet.

He half sighed, half whined at his girlfriend's doting.

"You know you don't need to do this every night."

"Well I am, so deal with it." She sneered back at him, flicking off the steady stream of water and handing him the glass.

He dumped the blue pills in his hand, not caring how many spilled.

He was just about to dump them all in his mouth when a versatile hand gripped his wrist. He looked down questioningly to his girlfriend, who instead of having an adorable pout like normal, had a hard face on display. Her oceanic eyes were hard, the waves had stilled. Her mouth was in an unmoving line of discontent. Her brows slightly scrunched with worry.

It surprised him.

"Let me see the bottle." She demanded, her other hand awaiting the bottle.

He gave it to her willingly, and saw as she flipped it left, right, sideways, and upside down for the instructions and warnings.

His brows tilted up with further surprise. Korra never gave a single thought about instructions.

She finally found what she was looking for, reading the tiny printed words on the blinding white bottle.

"Mako, each pill is two-hundred and fifty milligrams. The recommended for an adult is no more than one-thousand milligrams, or four pills."

Her eyes gazed down to his palm, "You have seven pills there." She looked back up at him, straight into the topaz eyes of his.

"So? I've been taking seven for a while. It won't do anything." He said confidently, though his confession only brought more worry upon the waterbender.

He didn't like it.

"You have?" Her voice was soft, and filled with worry. Sure, she had been annoyingly following him and watching him every night he did this, but she couldn't care less about how many pills he took, as long as she finally directed him back to bed. Now, the pills were starting to become a problem...

"Yeah." He responded back awkwardly, distressed by her uncharacteristic anguish.

She frowned, unpleased by the information he was gracing her with. "Well, we're going to cut you back to four pills, because all you're doing is damaging your body."

And in an instant she plucked three pills from his sweaty palm, dumping them back carelessly in the bottle and screwing the cap shut.

He groaned at her brashness but decided to play along with it for now. His mental exhaustion was beginning to put weight on his eyelids once again, threatening to make him succumb to sleep - where even though it's supposed to be a mental paradise for a whole eight hours, only left him thrashing and screaming into the night, leaving him deserted in imaginary mountains that were stacked with fear.

He popped the pills in his mouth - an action that had become second-hand nature to him - and out of the corner of his eye he saw Korra cross her arms, allowing her backside to rest on the edge of the counter, the only thing holding her on her feet. Her face became a shadowy mist as she tilted her head down, staring at the cool wooden floor.

He could tell she was lost in thought when usually she was lost in actions. Thinking was something that Korra kept to a minimal, sort of the _actions speak louder than words_ motto that Korra was famously known to abide by.

"Mako… Have you ever thought about seeing a therapist?"

Out of all things the crazy Avatar could've said, he definitely didn't expect that.

He cleared his throat, visibly uneasy.

"Can't say I have." He said back, taking another sip of water to help force down the pills that suddenly felt very stuck and tight in his throat.

"Well, maybe you should. I'm sure it would help you. Y'know, make you feel better… and… stuff…" Her voice trailed off, and he could suddenly tell she was antsy with the conversation as well.

He raised his eyebrow at her suggestion. It was true, he never really thought about seeing a therapist.

His immediate stubbornness and masculinity was a simple and definite _no._ Therapist? Pst, therapist… What was she thinking? He didn't need a therapist. He had raised his brother on the streets for years, feeding on barely edible things, and at the same time serving as a paperboy for the crooked gang.

But his recollection of all those events only made his logical and non-testosterone corrupted side of him made him realize that all those things are precisely why he should go see a therapist.

He looked back at Korra, and saw a small twinkle in her eyes that leaked of care, and as weird as he knew it was, motherly tenderness.

He wanted to let the barrier inside of him crack, allow the walls that have been suppressing his emotions for far too long to fall like a house made out of cards from a small breeze.

That small breeze was almost Korra.

 _Almost._

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair and slightly smelling it.

"I'll think about it." He said, his warm breath tickling her scalp.

* * *

As it had turned out, Mako didn't need much time to think. He only needed the four hours left that night before his alarm clock rang.

He told Korra, with uncertainty, about his plans to find a therapist, and she was ecstatic.

He actually found one quite easily. He only needed a phone book and a phone, and boom! His first appointment was scheduled for Monday at two o'clock.

It suddenly hit him that this was happening… Like a gust of air punching him in the gut, with a force that held avenge, but at the same time hope, and eventually peace…

 _Two o'clock on Monday._

 _Two o'clock on Monday._

 _Two o'clock on Monday_.

He repeated the chant every day in his head… Even when he was doing paperwork in the police station! Sometimes he would accidentally write it in his work, and a fellow coworker would come along and question why there was a random ' _2',_ or why ' _Monday'_ was in the middle of a sentence about something completely different.

He was writing on a specific arrest that only happened a few days ago, filing on a man who committed armed bank robbery. His hand was aching and begging for him to stop, but he ignored its cries of pain and continued to speedily flick his pencil across the paper.

Suddenly, his hat was forcibly tipped to cover his eyes, and an annoying booming laughter erupted with amusement behind him.

He smacked the known suspect away from him and fixed his hat. He didn't bother to look behind him to know who it was.

"Not funny, _Chako_." He spat his name like it was venom.

"Oh, I thought it was." The deep disgruntled voice replied back, and he made his way around Mako's desk.

He sighed as he leaned against Mako's desk, the short detour already tiring the middle-aged man. Mako wondered how he still even maintained his position.

He was definitely one who had succumbed to alcoholism. His bloated gut, puffed cheeks, and his unnaturally red complexion gave off immediate signs that every night after he got home from work, he would indulge in alcohol until he fell flat on his face.

The putrid smell of stale alcohol and cigarettes assaulted Mako's nose. Not only couldn't he stand being around this man, but he also _shouldn't_ be around him. He was literally a walking health hazard. If Mako had actually cared enough to hang out with the man, he probably would die from second-hand smoke, considering how many breaks this guy took off his shift to go get his nicotine fix.

 _Can't wait 'till this guy drops dead from liver failure and lung cancer._

 _Or, you know, whichever comes first._

Mako ignored his presence, continuing on with his work, despite the long stare he got.

The anxiety that he felt about someone standing over him only caused him to fumble a few more times, and he kept erasing words.

"Ey, Spikes," Mako's ears twitched at his annoying nickname. _Everyone_ here had started calling him by the derogatory word. He picked it up after somebody made a big fuss about gawking at how his hair naturally spiked in the front. Since then, that has become what he listens for in the office, instead of his actual name.

"look, I dunno what you're writing 'bout over here, but it definitely ain't 'bout that case."

"What does 'two' and 'Monday' gotta do with that bank robbery?" He asked.

Mako's eyebrows scrunched. "What?"

"You wrote some nonsense. Look." His fingertips that were covered with black cigarette ash pointed to where he wrote the two mistakes on his paper.

Mako quickly slapped his hands away and erased the accidental words and numbers.

"So, what's happenin' on Monday at two?" The tips of Chako's mouth slowly turned upwards into a curiously malicious smirk.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Mako replied bitterly, his voice lacking any sort of restraint to show how much he really disliked this guy.

A painless slap suddenly met Mako's back, "Aw, come on Spikes, you can tell your own pal."

Mako's eyes twitched with a warning. Before Mako could say anything back that could possibly ruin his reputation, he looked at the clock.

"It's the end of my shift." He said in a monotone, quickly packing up his things.

A loud voice boomed after him as he shoved open the heavy glass doors, "You're gonna tell me one day, Spikes!"

 _Yeah, right._

* * *

 _Okay, at two P.M. today…_

 _At two P.M. today…_

 _At…_ Suddenly his mind was drawing a blank.

 _At… At… Oh yeah! Two._

Why was this invariably on his mind? It was a stupid appointment, with a feeble-minded person who had not even the slightest clue on what he has been through.

* * *

He wondered to himself why he was there _ten_ minutes early if it didn't matter that much. He pushed that logical part out of his mind that was saturated with bitterness.

He wasn't just seeing any therapist. It was one that worked at home, to assure a more friendly and safe environment. He gave three sharp, fluid knocks on the fabulously-done glass-stained door, stepping backwards just so the tips of his shoes were behind the dusty _Welcome_ mat that lay on the concrete.

Within a second he heard the jiggle of the lock. He looked up to find a big-boned woman with hair so straight you wondered how many times she roasted her hair from the heat of the straightener. He stood up to meet her fervent smile that reached to her earlobes with his forcibly fabricated one.

They shared a friendly greeting before she generously opened the door a little more to let him in. He respectfully stepped inside, following her into an extravagant room with comfortable seating.

He was informed their first appointment was just a friendly way to get to know each other. He nodded, relieved yet disappointed he didn't have to talk about his childhood quite yet.

He went home after and Korra asked him how it went as soon as she got through the door.

He said he didn't think he would go back.

* * *

As it turned out, the next time Monday rolled around, he found himself walking back up to the woman's, (who he learned was named Ziha) residence at precisely two P.M.

The door opened only seconds after Mako knocked.

"Right on time! Come on in." She said happily, her heels clicking as she stepped back and opened the door wider.

She led him to the same room he was in only a week ago.

He took a seat rather awkwardly, shifting a few times before finding a comfortable position. She took a seat in front of him, and with surprising quickness got right into it, forging small-talk.

He asked her about his age, sexual orientation, relationships and things that left his mind already exhausted.

She asked him to give a brief description of his childhood. She stopped him short when he mentions that his parents were murdered.

"How did that make you feel?"

...Seriously? Did she really ask that?

He cleared his throat with annoyance, "Uhm- mad… I guess?"

"What or who are you mad at?"

These questions were infuriating.

"Whoever that guy was that kill them."

"Is that all?"

He thought for a moment.

"Mad at myself, too… I guess."

"And why are you mad at yourself?"

He shrugged his shoulders pathetically, looking down at the floor, not wanting to give an explanation of one of his biggest insecurities.

"Mako… I am here to help you. You can tell me anything, I won't judge at all." He heard sympathy in her voice.

But he has learned you can't trust people like this. If the quote " _Actions speak louder than words"_ could- well, it can't talk, now wouldn't that be contrary? Instead, it would show the woman _real_ pain and suffering of not knowing where your next meal is going to come from, or how you are going to suffer the next blazingly cold Winter. (Mako's eyes would widen with fear when there were some days where no snowy crystals of white had showered on the City. Because, even as uneducated and illiterate he is, even _he_ knew it was possible for it to be too cold to even snow.)

She didn't know the fear of living on the streets. And, as he could tell from her blindingly white teeth that have had the utmost care, the way her polished shoes squeaked and clanked against the beautiful marble floor, and the enormous ring on her left ring-finger that glittered with every movement because of that _oh-my-spirits-its-so-big-and-pretty_ diamond that shone proudly on the silver band, that she never had to wake up behind a dumpster to the curiosity and fear mixed as one overbearing emotion when they think they either heard the howling wind, or somebody screeching for dear life.

She never had to quickly usher hurried words into the worried ear of her sibling as they scrambled to get away from the sound of someone wailing.

There was no _Come-on-Bolin-we-have-to-go-we-can't-sit-here,_ followed by _We-can't-help-them-they-have-to-help-themselves,_ followed again, bitterly this time by, _If-we-were-in-the-same-situation-no-one-would-help-us-now-let's-go!_

Spirits bless Bolin for his big heart. Mako is glad his bitterness didn't corrupt Bolins' heart when he was younger. He always wanted to help, and although that's what got them in serious trouble back then, he appreciates that Bolin is truly a good person inside and out.

Almost every haunting screech in the darkest times of midnight was a woman. Almost every dialogue was the same, and it was almost always a girl who was a bit _too_ tipsy on some cactus juice for her own good, stumbling through the city streets in a dress that was two-sizes too-small for her. It was only when real danger occurred that their drunk minds would snap out of its haze, back into reality.

 _Flash_

" _No, please! I'll do anything! Do you want cash? I have cash! I have tons of yuans too, look!"_

 _He heard the clanking of several yuans hitting the ground, echoing over into the ally just over, where both brothers lay in a vexing and uncomfortable sleep. His head shot up at the sound immediately, alert within a second._

" _I have a check in here, too!" He heard a female voice exclaim, and most definitely the throw of her purse on the damp ground in front of whoever decided to stop her._

 _Mako swiftly jumped from his position on the concrete, shaking Bolin awake._

 _No, no. This man didn't want any money. He was hungry for something else._

" _I don't want none of your money, sweetheart." He heard a creepily hungry voice growl._

" _Bolin, wake up! We have to go!"_

 _His brother made a tired hum, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands before Mako lifted him up by his shirt collar and forced him to run with him away from the crime that he knew was about to inevitably take place._

 _As he was running he turned around, (how foolish he was), and locked eyes with a pair of grey that looked at him with helplessness, despair, and she almost called out to them until her voice was muffled with a quite voluminous hand, while the other hiked up her black satin dress, exploring a place where strangers should not be making themselves comfortable with._

* * *

That same girl was reported only a week later in the newspapers.

She found dead in the dumpster that Mako and Bolin were sleeping next to. Mako decided to turn this into a lesson for Bolin.

" _This is why we don't get involved. If that man found us, just imagine what could've happened."_ He remembered lecturing the words to Bolin.

" _If it's not our problem, it's not our business."_

Mako tried his hardest not to look at the name; but it was impossible! It was in big, black bolded words _**Mika.**_

In his anger of guilt, he burnt the newspaper to ash in his hands, allowing the crisp winds to carry them away.

Most of the girls that were shoved into alleyways by men who were unfairly larger than them screamed louder than normal, feeling the awful disgust and physical pain as the barrier of their innocence was broken by men that they didn't know.

Mako shook his conscience away from the thought, "I guess I feel like that because I know I could've done something better- or different to save them. I didn't give it my all. I failed them." Mako admitted, his voice as delicate as the wind.

Mako tried to focus on her words of advice, but his mind was racing so fast it was hard to keep up with her.

Mako left the house with exhaustion and confusion on how he oddly felt better to get some of those feelings out.

Later that night at dinner Korra asked the quick question on how his session went, eager to see him progress. He gave her a quick _it was okay_ , as he slurped up some noodles out of the bowl.

"That's good."

* * *

One, two, three. The months slipped by just as fast as that. Four, five, on the sixth month Korra commented that she was glad he was still going to therapy. Seven, eight…

"How is your relationship with your girlfriend? Korra, right?"

He nodded vaguely, "Pretty good. We are going to celebrate our two-year anniversary next month, actually."

"Congratulations." She remarked with honesty, before scribbling down something unknown to Mako on her note-pad.

She seemed hesitant as her pen stopped drifting along the paper, like she was questioning if she should ask him something.

"And how is your intimacy with Korra?" She asked.

"Uhm, intimacy?" He questioned.

She nodded at him.

"We share the same bed. That's about it." He shrugged.

"Nothing is ever initiated?"

"I haven't initiated anything, she has though."

"Mhm. How does that make you feel?"

"Uncomfortable." He said a little too quickly.

"What do you do in these situations?"

"I tell her goodnight and roll over." He said, feeling a sort of guilt prick at him.

"Why do you think this is your reaction?" She asked, shifting and folding one leg over the other.

He almost became offended, about to blast her with blinding anger; but then he realised she wasn't trying to berate him. She wasn't trying to prod him with questions on why he wouldn't have sex with his girlfriend; that wasn't something odd. At Least, not for people who had gone through things like he had. She was trying to figure out why his reaction was so distant and filled with much distress. It was perfectly fine to reject sex - but not to fear it.

"I… I don't want to get that close to her." He admitted, bringing one leg up and resting his chin on his knee, trying to hide his general fear on his face away from her.

"Why not?"

He sighed, "I'm afraid. Afraid of _that_ sort of connection. I don't want to have the attachment to her because I've _seen things_ , out on the streets there. I know I am not like some of those other people, I know I am a better person than that. But my mind can't help to start comparing me to these other _horrible_ people."

He took a deep breath to keep his surfacing emotions, but try he did, as stinging tears threatened the corners of his eyes.

Briefly things flashed before his eyes; Mika, and words uttered to him by the exact people he is afraid to be like.

' _Once a triad, always a triad.'_

' _You belong on the streets, mah boy! It's in your blood.'_

' _The whores always like it when you shove it so hard down their throats they start to gag. Heh, fucking hookers.'_

' _Ey, boy, that brother of yours over there, the one with the green eyes, I'll compensate you_ _ **generously**_ _for him.'_

"I've seen how some people can't control themselves. I'm afraid I'll end up the same way, I won't be able to control myself, and I'll end up hurting her… Even though I know I do have the self control! Ahg! I don't know!" He started to get frustrated, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

His eyes then casted down darkly at the floor, a mist of anguish covering his blazing bright eyes. "And I know I can't get too attached because I know she will have to leave me. I know I've told you a thousand times; but she's the Avatar. She can't always stay with me, be with me… She's going to have to leave me someday to go save somebody somewhere else like the hero she is and I will be left here, alone, wishing she was with me. I want her to be with me, _always,_ because she is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. She's my light, and when she leaves I will be sitting in the dark…"

He felt something slide down his cheek. Damnit! He was crying. He hurriedly brushed the escaping tears away.

Her voice was soft, "Has she ever told you she is leaving?"

Mako shook his head, and immediately saw the point she was trying to make. His insecurities were illogical, (yet, logical at the same time), and he hated how she was right.

.

Mako went home that night, thinking about how he was emotionally distant from Korra majorly. He made a definitive choice as he was walking home about showing more affection and love toward her, because only the spirits knew how much he loved her.

"I love you." He said out of nowhere as they sat down to eat their dinner. Korra looked up at him with surprise written all across her face. They didn't say those words much- the last time those words were uttered was all the way back at the South Pole on the icey cliff.

Korra gave him a cute and dazzling smile, "I love you too."

They shared a quick and innocent kiss. Mako was ready to share these short-lived romantic moments and show Korra affection. However, he was far away from being able to have something as intimate as sex with her. But these were the stepping stones.

He was getting there.

* * *

The months continued by, nine, ten.

"Mako, in all of these situations that you have faced, what have your reactions been?"

"What do you mean by 'reactions'?" He asked.

"Everybody has their own system in place to face situations that they generally dislike and things that make them feel uncomfortable. Whether it is self - mutilation, like cutting, or taking anger out on others. Everyone has their own way to face their problems, but it is my job to help them find healthy ways to exercise their emotions freely."

"I don't know… I guess I just deal with it." He lied, his eyes shadily making their way to his hands that were covered by misty black gloves.

"Perhaps so, but emotions don't stop, Mako. You can't make yourself stop feeling them with a flick of the wrist, no matter how hard you ignore them. They end up building up so much that they break lose all at once. What do you do when that happens?"

"Really, it's not important, I don't do it anymore." He lied again.

"It is important if it has happened."

 _Flash_

 _It's not that he wanted to feel- or didn't want to feel. It was just something to keep him grounded. Tie him back down to reality. It's not like he wanted to do it._

 _It was late at night-or extremely early morning if you were looking to be specific- and a thirteen-year-old Mako was awake, looming over his little brothers sleeping form while he kept watch. It was suspiciously quiet- even the crickets had retired._

 _Mako felt like he was about to come unhinged. Several minutes ago precipitation started to roll off his forehead and drip to the damp asphalt._

 _Dead silence used to be something anyone who had lived in the City dreamed off. The constant rumbling of Sato vehicles, the busy scampering of adults trying to get to work on time, the ecstatic_ _ **thump, thump, thump**_ _of happy feet in new shoes skipping their way to school- it was a regular background noise in everybody's life. To have it so quiet, to feel more alone than ever before- sent Mako's already unstable mentality over the edge. He was used to sound, and the overbearing silence set him into a silent crying fit._

 _He felt like he was losing his mind._

 _He needed something to snap him back in reality. Pinching himself, slapping, they all worked, but only to an extent._

 _He held his palm up to the stars, and a young fire that blazed of orange was ignited. He stares at it for a while- orange life meeting with teary, poppy topaz._

 _Mako was one to usually reside within himself and sit back to watch the situation, then analyze that to make his precise move. Not this time._

 _He thrust his free left hand out in the middle of the fire. He felt the warmth first, then the slight burning to warn him. Then came the real burns. Salty tears gathered at the tips of his eyes as he saw the tone of his skin on his hand turn from a pale tone to something that was red and raw._

 _Something that was burnt._

 _He didn't cry out at all. He tasted blood that came from his bottom lip- where his top teeth were biting into the pink flesh to keep his mouth shut._

 _When he extinguished the flame, he looked at his hand with curiosity._

 _Red covered his hand. There was blood that dripped from the burn, but he didn't feel it slide down his skin. he only saw the dark crimson liquid drip on the floor with an echo._

 _In fact, some of his skin was black. It was charred. He didn't realise he could get it that far, but his skin started to get tingly when it turned pink. It went numb by the time the skin changed to red, and by the time the first signs of black appeared, he couldn't feel anything anymore._

 _Just below the slight pain that lingered there from the nerves that weren't completely damaged, he felt a wave of relief hit him. And he didn't know why, or how. He just knew he found comfort._

 _So if this be the way he stays sane, so be it…_

 _Flash_

Mako hesitantly explained the way he manages to stay sane- to stay _alive_.

"When was the last time you burned yourself?"

"Three… maybe four months ago." He grumbled out a lie, casting his eyes towards his hands that were covered with soft, black fabric, covering burns that were only six days young.

* * *

That night when Mako returned to their attic very quietly, Korra caught on immediately that something was deeply heavy on his mind.

She refused to ask him until the time was right. However, she didn't need to wait that long, because after dinner, when they began to settle down, Mako peeped out, "She diagnosed me with PTSD."

Korra looked up at him with sympathetic eyes. She had heard if this before, Katara telling her stories when she was younger about how Aang had something like that also. She never knew what it meant, and as a child didn't care enough to ask.

She knew what it stood for though.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder?" She asked for clarification, and he gave a small nod as his head turned out to look into the distance of a world that was not this one.

She didn't know what to say. She couldn't have. Being secluded in the compound for her entire life, being deprived of social contact didn't seem to help her at all. Social skills was not her forte.

Instead, in a gesture of sympathy, and understanding, and comfort and of hurt and of any emotion she could possibly think of, she gave him a hug that was worth a thousand emotions. All he could do was sag in the embrace, and try his hardest to not cry.

* * *

Month eleven rolled around, and he had made a certain decision.

He sat Korra down with him on the edge of the bed. A worried pair of dazzling blue eyes casted curiosity at him.

"Mako? You're freaking me out here. What is it?"

He didn't say a word. Instead, he looked up at her nervously. He maintained eye contact as he used his right hand to reach down and tug off the glove on his left hand.

The stare was broken as Korra looked down at his naked hand. Mako noted with surprise when he didn't see any kind of shock appear on her face. Not even the tiniest expression of being taken-back.

Korra had matured greatly over the months. She's learned to be more caring and understanding, and, as much as she didn't like it, how to be _patient._ He could tell she was applying sympathy to the situation now, and Mako felt a greater courage to take his bare hand and reveal the other.

He set the gloves next to him on the cotton sheets, and waited.

She brought her own unscarred hands up to his. With surprising gentleness, she caressed the peeling skin on his hand, which was trying to protect the new red and delicate skin beneath it, as his most recent burns were only days old. With caution she avoided the parts where his skin had swelled and bubbled up with pus.

Wordlessly, she stood up and grabbed him by his wrists, knowing that holding hands would probably hurt him. He followed her silently as she lead the way to the small bathroom. She flicked on the light, and plugged the sink. She quickly turned the knobs and adjusted the water to lukewarm. Mako raised his eyebrows.

"Healing my hands won't make the scars go away, you know."

Korra focused her eyes on the sink that was being filled the water, "No, but we can heal the most recent damage. It will feel much better afterwards."

She stopped the constant gush of water, and demanded that he put his hands in the sink. With an eye roll, he followed his girlfriend instructions.

"It's going to be painful the first few seconds, then it will start to feel better. So don't flinch or take your hands out of the water."

He nodded his head, waiting and watching for the blue glow of healing water.

He saw the glow come, but the pain didn't come with it. He realised, with the drop of his heart, that his hands were rather numb. He could barely feel a small ache of pain pass through.

He had burned most of the nerves in his hands.

He was so caught up in the thought, that he didn't even realise Korra was done until she lifted his hands out of the water by his wrist.

"Wow." Was all Mako could breathe out, as the peeling skin had disappeared. The pus bubble had been deflated. He didn't know how she did it, but she somehow was able to extract the pus, only to leave him with extra dead skin on his hands.

"Like you said, I couldn't make the old scars go away… but I healed what could've become new scars." She said, unplugging the sink and letting the used water slowly drain down.

"You're amazing." Mako said, looking over to the left of him where she stood. She gave him a small smile, and tapped his nose with her forefinger; a gesture that Mako thought was extremely cute. So cute it made him want to kiss her.

"I know."

* * *

 _Blood… blood, blood,_ _ **blood.**_

Mako's figure shot up in an instant, struggling to recover from the nightmare.

His head hurt, his heart hurt and he was aching all over.

He slipped out from the bed, hurrying to the kitchen and slamming open the cupboard, a sound loud enough to snap Korra from her sleep.

She hears the unscrewing of the cap. The dumping of several dozens of pills. She hurriedly jumped from her spot on the bed.

Mako dumped whatever he could. He didn't know the lethal dose, and frankly he didn't care.

He didn't want to die. But he wanted to stop hurting _everywhere_. He needed everything to stop for a moment.

He dumped the pills in his mouth.

A _no!_ was yelled only a few seconds later, and a few more seconds passed by and the pill bottle was smacked out of his hands, the blue pills scattering all over the floor.

He didn't even have time to swallow _one_ before Korra's fingers pinched his left ear, and his ego was hurt as he realised he was being manhandled by a girl, a girl who was forcing him towards the sink.

"Spit them out." Korra said as calmly as she could, but the adrenaline in her was flaring.

When he stood motionless, she pinched his ear harder and screamed, " _Spit them out, Mako! Now!"_

He did as she said, but definitely not by choice.

His legs felt like noodles. He collapsed on the ground, Korra catching his head from meeting the unforgiving wood.

It was quiet, for a long, _long_ time. She had started running her fingers through his hair at some point, sending tingles through his scalp.

Korra found it comforting whenever he did it to her, so she figured she would try to relax him doing this too.

"I thought I cut you down to four pills." She jokingly said, trying to lighten the situation. She had a sad smile on display.

This only caused Mako's anger to spike.

He pushed himself away from her, stubbornly shying away from eye contact.

Her eyes glazed over, "You can't do these things…" She said quietly.

"Do what?" He questioned bitterly.

" _This!_ You can't do _the_ se things! Do you even know how stupid that was? You're such an idiot, damn you Mako!" She yelled, scrambling to her feet.

He stared nonchalantly down at the floor.

She scoffed bitterly, "And it's like you don't even care! I don't even think you understand the severity of what you were about to do!"

"I wasn't trying to kill myself." He said in a monotone, suddenly entranced by the cracks in the wooden floorboards.

"Then why take _all_ those pills? You dumped the entire bottle in the bag. The ones that didn't make it, or the few that were left in the bottle are all over the floor!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up to give attention to the pills dotting the floor.

He didn't answer.

He heard her take a deep breath, struggling to calm herself down.

"Okay, let's suppose you weren't trying to. You could have _at least_ checked how many you should take."

She kicked the pills in her pathway away, walking over to Mako and getting down on one knee, trying to search his face.

"Whatever you're having trouble coping with, I'll help you through it. I'll _always_ help you through it. It's us versus the problem, and I promise we can find the solution." She said softly.

"It's not your problem." Mako said, a phrase somewhat similar to what he had said to Bolin many years ago.

"Amon wasn't your problem, and you still went to fight him with me." He could see the playful wink she gave out of the corner of her eye.

"It was my problem, because this is my home."

"Fair enough. Still, whenever someone breaks into your home, you don't usually go fight the robber, right? You call the police."

He didn't respond.

She sighed, rubbing her hand over his back soothingly. "Seriously, you can't do things like this. It scares me, Mako… I can't lose you like that..."

Mako rolled his eyes, "I already told you I wasn't trying to kill myself."

"Accidents happen." She chimed back.

He got increasingly uncomfortable. He rolled his shoulders, forcing her hand away.

"Stop that." She said, almost viciously.

"Stop what?"

"Forcing me out. Not telling me _anything_. Holding your emotions from me. I'm sick of it! I am your girlfriend, Mako. That doesn't mean I need to know your every thought, but _spirits Mako,_ I can't be clueless!"

He turned to her, his face hostile.

"You want to know why I was taking those pills?" He asked through gritted teeth, pointing at the scattered drugs on the floor.

"I can't keep up anymore. With life. With anything. I _hurt_ , Korra. I can't make it stop. Just everything, it needs to slow down once in a while!" He didn't notice the tears running down his face.

"So, no, I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was just trying to stop feeling like this." His voice cracked.

…

He heard her body shift, and soon enough her front was pressed against his back, her chin resting on his head and her arms wrapped around his chest.

His cries were done with being silent. He finally cracked, the house of cards blown down by the wind.

His first sob was so loud; so full of despair and hopelessness that is embarrassed him and he tried to choke down the rest.

"It's okay to cry," Korra whispered in his ear, "it doesn't make you weak, it makes you stronger. And you are the strongest person I know."

Audible cries of anguish filled the air.

"Please don't leave me. Please don't…" Mako managed to gasp out.

"I never said I was." Korra gently said.

"No, but… but you'll have to one d-day. You're going to have to leave me and go save somebody else."

"Mako… I'm not going anywhere. Where did you get this idea?"

He turned around to face her, "You can't ignore your Avatar duties. We all know you're going to have to travel the world and do… things."

She nodded in understanding, "I know, you're right about that. But," She emphasized and she used her thumb to brush away the tears on his cheeks. "you're wrong thinking I'll ditch you. We're Team Avatar, remember? All four of us."

He nodded, looking down at the floor and swallowing with an audible gulp.

"Plus," She continued, "I couldn't hold down the fort by myself. Can you imagine? Oh Spirits, the world would go up in flames." She have him a small smile and she swore she heard a tiny grumble of a laugh as he smiled back at her.

* * *

 _One year_

There has been a secret that Mako hasn't told anybody. _Ever_. Not even Bolin, the one who he shares ninety-nine percent of cruel memories with.

He prefers to keep it buried down in a place so deep he sometimes forgets it ever happened.

 _Ey, boy, that brother of yours over there, the one with the green eyes, I'll compensate you generously for him._

The sentence that started something awful.

 _Flash_

 _Mako looked over to his green-eyed little brother, then back at the man. He had absolutely no intention to force Bolin to do anything, or even let him go off with a stranger._

 _He has heard of people like this. Baiting young people out on the streets with money. For girls the bait that was usually out was modeling. For boys it was easy labour for suspicious amounts of money. And accepting these offers_ _ **always**_ _got you thrown into human trafficking…_

" _What do you mean?"_

 _He could see out of the corner of his eye that Bolin was about to make a fuss, feeling betrayed that his older brother would even think of sending him away. Make made a gesture that told him to shut up, and Bolin unwillingly obeyed._

 _The man gave a creepy smile, "I'll show ya."_

 _Mako shook his head, "You can take me, but not him."_

 _This caused the man's smile to be compressed but he nodded._

 _Mako turned towards Bolin, "Stay here, okay? I will be back."_

 _Fear infected his young eyes, "Promise?"_

 _Make grabbed his shoulder and squeezed, "Promise"_

 _._

" _Where are we going?" The twelve-year-old asked the man, straying a few steps behind him._

" _Look around you, kid! Where do ya think you are?"_

 _Mako gave him a dirty look, "We're in the Dragon Flats district. I_ _ **mean**_ _do you have a specific place in mind?"_

 _His response was a grizzly laugh._

 _Only a few minutes later they reached a brick building. Apartments._

 _Mako halted at the door frame, refraining from stepping in a strangers house. In public it was okay, because in public many people were around._

 _An eye roll and an audible sigh, "Do you want your money or not, kid?"_

 _Mako weighed his decision and decided to enter. The apartment wasn't in mint condition, but it definitely wasn't horrible. It was just something that has been lived in._

" _Have a seat."_

" _I'd prefer to stand." Mako said, looking around._

" _Suit yourself." A voice called as it retreated to a back room._

 _Within moments he was back with a wad of money that was practically tossed in Mako's face. He barely caught it before it dropped on the carpet._

 _Shock was apparent. "Is this counterfeit?"_

" _Nope. Even go look at it in that light over their."_

 _Mako could tell by his answer he wasn't lying._

" _So, what do I have to do for it? What do you need? Yard work?"_

 _The man smiled widely, "Did you see those cherry blossom trees outside? In perfect condition. Plus I don't pay for the land fees, that's all the apartment owners job."_

" _Need help moving boxes?"_

 _The man laughed, patting his biceps. "I've worked out for a long time. None of that."_

 _Mako was getting tight on guesses. He scoffed, "Let me guess, you want me to be your personal cigarette lighter?"_

 _The man's hand was thrust out and a flame was born, "Us firebenders are lucky in the sense that we don't need to waste our precious pennies on lighters. Natural survivalists."_

 _Mako didn't realise he was a bender. Dammit, he should have made sure of that before!_

 _His guard had risen._

" _Okay, so what do you need?" He asked cautiously._

 _Mako's eyes had widened when the man's pants fell. He covered his eyes, "Look, I dunno where your bathroom is, but I could probably help you find it. Just put your pants back on." He said, his mind not realising what he was wanted for._

" _I'd like you to perform_ _ **other**_ _services."_

 _Mako uncovered his vision halfway, "What do you mean?"_

" _Let me see your hand."_

 _Mako hesitantly gave it to him, and within seconds he was touching something the felt_ _ **odd**_ _to him._

 _The dots connected in his head when he looked and found his hand wrapped around the man's… privates._

" _Move it like this." He said, directing Mako's hand up and down._

 _Mako looked back down at the money in his other hand, then back at the hand that was gripping the man._

 _Mako listened, because money was money, right?_

 _._

" _You got me dumplings? Thank you! Where did you find them?" Bolin questioned Mako as he was already inhaling his first out of a dozen dumplings._

 _Mako shook his head, still trying to piece together and understand what he saw… and what he felt._

" _Don't worry about it." He said simply._

 _Bolin thrust the delicious food out to him, but Mako pushed his hand away and shook his head._

 _He didn't have an appetite._

 _Flash_

It's what Mako has nightmares about most nights. Waking up from the horrifying memory of doing _that_ to somebody, then somebody doing it _back_ to you.

He hated that decision. It made him feel embarrassed and weird, and most of all disgusted.

He thinks these thoughts as he gives light knocks on the glass-stained door.

He sucks in a deep breath, preparing himself.

He's going to share it for the first time. Today. He won't back out, like he did last time. He needs to get it off his chest because if he doesn't, things will never become completely better.

Because things have to get better at some point, right?

Yes, he thinks. Things have to get better. There is signs all around him that just scream it. The first was Toza taking them in, which allowed Mako not to have to do _those_ things again.

The second was Korra.

He hopes today will be the third.

His head snaps up as the doorknob jiggles and he is greeted with the same familiar face.

He gives an honest smile back.

Same place. Same setting. Same seat. He sits down, and even before she has time to speak, he says it for the first time.

"I was raped."

* * *

Mako walks through the door to the attic that night with happy tears in his eyes and he feels like there is no longer cinder blocks tied to his ankles.

"Looks like somebody had a good day." Korra commented, not noticing the tears in his eyes from a far distance as she was more focused on cooking the noodles in the pan in front of her.

Mako came up behind her and gave her a hug from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist and putting a kiss on the top of her head.

"You don't even know." He said.

 _You don't even know…_

* * *

" _You've got the light to fight the shadows_

 _so quit hiding it away."_

 _~Emile Sande_

* * *

" _...But I'm okay in see-through skin  
I forgive what is within  
'Cause I'm in this house  
I'm in this home  
All my time  
Wo-oh-oh  
Cover your crystal eyes  
And feel the tones that tremble down your spine  
Wo-oh-oh  
Cover your crystal eyes  
And let your colours bleed and blend with mine"_

" _Of Monsters and Men, "Crystals"_

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 **A/N;** _Not much I have to say except I'm sorry if that doesn't seem like a realistic type of therapist-ordeal. I'M REALLY BAD WITH THIS TYPE OF THING, OKAY?_

 _I promise, I'll get help for these stories that I write. Like, mental help… because who comes up with this?_

 _I'm just really into the tragedy and drama._

 _Okay, I PROMISE I'll try to make a more fluffy and romantic chapter._

 _(By the way, last chapter and this chapter are two totally different stories. They aren't connected.)_

 _Also, WOAH. In about 9 days or so, it will be two years since I published the first chapter of Makorra Drabbles! Time flies by fast when you're unhealthily obsessed with something. ;)_

 _Reviews are good. Reviews spread happiness. Reviews save lives._

 _So leave a review today. Save a life._

" _Makorra tragedy/angst/romance is the best tragedy/angst/romance." ~A stupid quote I put at the end of every chapter because I'm creative like that._

 _I hope that anybody who celebrates the Holidays has a Happy Thanksgiving!_

 _Thanks for reading!_


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